Operation: MEMENTO
by KCcracker
Summary: Years and years after Numbuh One left the planet, the remaining members of Sector V have finally come of age - to be decommissioned. But the members of the KND have other plans for our intrepid adventurers - and soon the gang find the situation spiralling out of control. Will they pass the tests? Will they make it through intact? Read, review etc.
1. Chapter 1

OPERATION: MEMENTO

Memories

Entered

Mysteriously

Explain

Nothingness

To

Operatives

Out on the bridge of the KND Moon Base, against the cold, dim backdrop of the million stars, Abby Lincoln turned her back on the universe, and felt old.

She _was_ old. This was nearly her thirteenth birthday, that invisible line in the sands of time that divided teens and kids like beach and sea. Perhaps after all these years, she still held out hope that she would become just like Maurice, commissioned to serve until her time ran out. Or like Numbuh One, chosen among millions to be the sole representative of the pale blue marble below her. But she knew that that was unlikely. Even though she'd recently gotten the position of Supreme Leader, she knew that it would not last forever. _Nothing lasts forever..._

But there _was_ a way. One last mission, to stay ahead of the game. One last dash for the sunset.

Turning her back to the window, she walked over to her desk. On it lay a bulky, sealed envelope. Situation R, it was called. Some said the idea inside had been written down at the beginning of time, at the dawn of the First Age of the KND. Throughout the aeons, the subtleties had changed, to account for the passage of time - but the overall sequence had stayed the same. Not even the Supreme Leader could open the envelope at will. The envelope had to be delivered to her from the secret archives of the KND, when some mysterious device down there decided it was time to give the instructions out. No biggie, then.

Slicing the envelope open, the yellowed paper within it revealed what she needed to do. Pulling a blank piece of paper towards her, she wrote her final orders. She would not remember writing them - and these would not come into play until much later anyway, but it was key to write them out _now_.

Done with the orders, she looked at her watch. It was already eleven hundred hours. Not long more until the members of Sector V got to Moon Base. Then they could start. Finish what they began.

But until then-

Abby looked at the stars again, and prayed, prayed that somehow, someway, it would last long enough for them all to be together again.

* * *

"There she is!" Sector V alighted from their vehicle and rushed to greet their supreme leader. Before Abby could respond, she was smothered by her teammates, rolling around in one big, happy group on the floor.

"Oof-let go!" But Abby had a satisfied smile. For that instant only, there, before her, were her friends, her teammates of five years. Peeling herself off the ground, she dusted her blue shirt off and just stared contentedly at her friends, enjoying that moment of final reunion.

Wally was the first to break the silence.

"So what's this cruddy mission you got us here for, Numbuh Five - ma'am?"

He stared lopsidedly at her, through his golden bowl-cut, as if expecting an answer and knowing there probably wasn't one. Seeing her silence, Wally continued, "You'll be thirteen in a few hours time anyway, there's no need to rub it in with one last mission this and sentimentality that. We already did that schtick with Numbuh One."

"Aww, you'll see. Did you guys bring Keith?" Keith was the newest operative in Sector V, the short sandy-haired boy, now so key to the success of this mission.

"No ma'am, but you didn't say-"

But Kuki was swiftly cut off by Abby, who clamped her hand across her mouth.

"You're right, I didn't. Don't tell anyone about this mission, OK? We're not going to end up like Chad or my dear sister let's get going, Eighty-six's already looking to eighty-six us like some reject teenager trash. Let's go!"

Climbing back on board, the team looked at the sweeping expanse of Kids Next Door Moon Base, staring back at it like it would be the last time. And as the ship headed back to Earth, they watched the moon base grow smaller and smaller, until it disappeared to a point and the moon was but a lazy glowing orb in the sky - seemingly nothing more than a dream.

* * *

Once they were back at the treehouse, no-one wanted to waste any time.

"Work faster, people! Numbuhs Two and Four, you're gonna have to hide the SPLANKER there instead!" Abby, all coolness gone, jabbed her finger madly around Sector V's treehouse. The main hall looked like hell all askew with gadgets thrown over the floor, and the air rattled and shook with a mass of sounds, as if the team were moving treehouse. A mustard gun lay next to a crudely drawn sketch of Numbuh Four, author unknown. "And - oh, Keith, what's wrong?"

Keith stood before Abby in the tyre hologram pit, tears shining in his young eyes. "I'm gonna miss you guys a lot. I don't - I don't wanna grow up-"

Abby shushed him gently, moving into that pit, where so many moons ago, the five members of sector V had planned every mission and every attack together. "Look, Keith, your time's still long yet. Don't bolt the door before the horse's even thought about running..."

Keith blinked away the tears, but it didn't work. His watery blue eyes stared into Abby's brave ones. She gave him a tight, motherly embrace.

"C'mon, Keith. Numbuh Five's sure that you're going to be fine with your new friends. And you know where to find us, right, cause Numbuh Two's adjusted it a little. You'll be with Sector W after we're gone, but don't forget us...

As he pulled out of the hug, Keith asked, "Thanks. Abby, if-if, y'know - it doesn't work - goodbye."

Abby nodded, biting her lip hard. "Don't be too lonely, alright? Make some new friends. Have fun. See ya around, alright?"

A second later, she was standing up in the pit again, pulling a large, detailed map of the whole world towards her. "The only thing left is that directions thing - Numbuh Four?"

"Alright, mate!" Wally grinned stupidly back, two thumbs up. "I still don't get what's going on with this Memento business, so how's bout you tell me why we've got to do all this stuff?"

"How's bout Numbuh Five tell you to focus on your part of the mission and finish it before Numbuh Eighty-Six comes with my birthday cake? Numbuh Five says relax, you'll know very well what to do when it's time. Before then, you've got a job to do, so do it!"

"Beat ya to it, Numbuh Five - ma'am. We're done here."

Abby looked around the room, raising her hand. Slowly, all the work came to a temporary stop. "Alright then, Sector V - we've agreed to all do this together, right? I know it's common enough procedure for the whole sector to agree to joint decommissioning, but you guys don't have to - I'm the only one with any real reason to be decommissioned."

"Forget it, Numbuh Five. I'd lose my memories faster than I'd lose any one of you! We all know this day's coming, so let's get it over with, huh? Let's get it-"

Wally choked, unable to finish the sentence. The treehouse was temporarily quiet. Shaking away the tears, he furiously continued:

"Anyway, we'd said we'll do it together, and by crud we'll do it together!" Numbuh Four stared at Abby and Keith in the tyre pit, eyes alight with passion. He looked around, and there were no signs of any dissent.

Abby didn't look. "Alright-" she pulled the map towards her again, "-this looks like it's nearly set up, and just in time too- Numbuh Eighty-Six is going to be here in minutes. Come over here, guys; Numbuh Five's gotta say some pretty important things."

The last whirrs of computing and machinery died away as the members of sector V finished up and took their seats, one last time, around the tyre hologram.

Abby addressed the older members first. "Firstly, you guys should know that the success of this operation isn't guaranteed. The experience will be unique to all of you, and yet we'll have to cooperate at some point if this plan is to succeed. Numbuh Five's got faith in all of you, but it's going to be hard, and we only get one shot at it. Even if we succeed, Numbuh Five's not sure it's the life that we'd like to have, and if we fail, we risk wiping ourselves out of existence. Are you guys sure you want to do this?"

All around the circle there were grim and silent nods. Abby looked around, and a sob choked in her throat as she continued-

"Now this is the one I want to say to everyone. We all remember - that's you too, Numbuh Four - that Numbuh One made us promise him something before he left. So tonight, I want you all to promise me the exact same thing, OK?"

Abby drew her arms around her circle, pulling them all in. All around her, her pre-teen friends, the only things that mattered in the whole wide world. And as they were all holding hands , Abby spoke again.

"Even if we never see each other again, I want you to promise me one thing, that you'll never grow up. Even when you're a hundred years old and don't remember a thing we did together, you'll still be a kid at heart, OK?"

The tears were falling again, now thick and fast, and no-one could hold them back, and no-one cared to.

"Even if they take away our memories, they can't take away our friendship, alright? So-"

"Kids Next Door-goodbye." Abby's voice broke on the last word, just as the cool night air outside filled with the buzzing of vehicles, commissioned specifically for those who would not go quietly. But there would be no problem this time.

The door slid open, and as Numbuh Eighty-Six walked in, guns at the ready. Abby held her hands up, and the rest of Sector V bar Keith followed her silently.

At the exit she looked back.

"Keith." She said in a voice of the greatest importance. "Do not go gentle into the good night. Don't say _nuthin'_ else to me, OK?"

"What-"

"That's the first clue. Do not go gentle into the good night."

"But I don't understand-"

"Yeah? You will soon." And with that, Abby, along with the rest of Sector V, walked away into the ship.

The doors slid shut behind them. A moment later, Keith heard the rockets blast off for the Moon Base, felt the huge nothingness of the treehouse wash all over him as the reality of his friends' departure hit him like a lead weight.

Walking to the bridge, he watched as against the backdrop of the starry, starry night, the ship travelled further and further away. He stared as presently, the ship faded into being just another star, another point of light in the distance, the brightest one of them all.


	2. Chapter 2

Abigail Lincoln awoke the next morning with a tremendous headache and a vague sense of nothingness. Distantly, as if looking through a dirty glass window, she remembered a dream, a faint dream that someone remarkably like her had been in her room. Another girl, perhaps? But that was over now, and the dream quickly faded into nothingness. Turning over in her bed, she looked at her alarm clock.

"...wha? It's nine o'clock already?"

Stirring from her bed, she started processing one by one, the images that came to her. Her room - no, her slanted ceiling first, covered in pictures of Yippers and Rainbow Monkeys, and a little sketch of a boy in the corner, drawn by - who?

Off to her right, the sunlight was streaming in onto her carpet, catching the dust particles here and there. Her desk, facing the window, had a half-full scrapbook on it. Abby groggily walked over to her desk.

More sketches. Some sort of weapon, or other - what was she thinking? It looked like a bubblegum gun. A six-shooter for chewed up gum! It couldn't possibly be real. And yet she never thought she was capable of imagination like that. She was always thirteen, or so she believed. It wasn't too hard to imagine that that had always been so.

She needed her tunes. _Perhaps that will cool things down a bit._ Fumbling around on her desk for the music player she was certain existed half a second ago. Looking for the one thing a teenager did not do without. Pushing whatever remained of her childhood on her desk to one side.

She finally found it underneath a pile of official-looking papers. Looked through the songs she did not remember downloading, and choosing one. Plugging herself in, she left the room. But even walking downstairs seemed hard, awkward, unnatural. Her limbs felt like jelly sticks, barely connected to her body, badly coordinated. It must be the 'growing pains' her dad had told her about, with the teenagers and the growing and the...what?

Again, she couldn't recall.

She peered into the kitchen, where her sister was already up, pouring herself a bowl of plain cereal. Today being Saturday, there was nothing much to do - yet. "Hey Cree?"

"Oh, hey. Happy birthday, sis. Welcome to adolescence."

Abby waved her hands dismissively, walking towards the wooden table. Was it her or was there something emotionally off about her big sister? "Thanks. Do you mind - WAIT."

"I don't mind waiting, but what is it, Abby?"

"My CAP! Where is it, Cree?"

Cree Lincoln looked genuinely bemused, though it was hard to see from beneath her runaway hair. "Dunno, Abby. You don't need it anymore, do ya?"

"You bet your last Rainbow Monkey I do! Now where is it?"

Cree stopped eating. Smiled a mysterious smile. Was that acknowledgement, or deception? "Well, it looks like you were right after all, sis. You really did know what you were talking about last night."

Abby braced herself against the table, aware of a rising tide of nausea. Around her, the world started spinning, a mix of colours and sights and sounds that just didn't add up. "Last night? I didn't see you-I don't know-What's going on?"

In that instant she didn't look remotely like a teenager. She looked like a lost child. Cree just stared at her like she was bonkers, playing with her spoon reflectively, almost regretfully.

"Last time I saw you, you were scarcely a kid, and look at you now, all grown up!"

"Come on, don't give me that David Copperfield stuff, sis! What do you know about last night, and where is my cap?"

Cree simply shrugged. "You told me yesterday you'd eventually find it, now didn't ya? Last I heard, you left it at your friends' place or something. Now run along, go find it."

Abby snarled. "I'll pummel you once I get back."

Peeling herself off the table, Abby burst out of the kitchen door, ready to go hunting for her cap, when she realised something else.

"Friends?"

* * *

 _Memories!_

Abby was possessed by an intense desire to _know -_ something, anything. _Maybe a photo will help me understand what the heck is going on!_ She didn't see anything that could be tied to her childhood, though. It was as if a big part of her life had been completely wiped out, and that was physically disorienting for her. She supposed it had something to do with being an adult, but without a background story, really, anything could be the cause. And where was her cap?

As far as she knew, she'd always had her cap close to her. No one could've taken it. Then again, she couldn't remember much, so as it stood, even her cap - the one thing that stayed the same from fragmented memory to memory - was suspect.

Walking into the front yard, she recognised houses, trees. That garden round the corner. A blue car in that driveway. But who lived in it? For that matter, who were her neighbors - the kids next door?

A feeling beyond all reason overtook Abby completely. Now she was curious. She needed to know what all these disorienting, disjointed ideas meant. She needed to explain the emptiness in her life.

 _Maybe if I ask around the neighborhood...I'll be able to recognise something. Anything!_

She looked around a little bit more. Funnily enough, her memory seemed to take on a mind of her own. Kenny lived in that white house, but in the one next to it there lived...Mr. Wheatle? Skittle? A father and his boy, at any rate. She knew the boy had once been her friend. But what exactly did he look like? Everything was fuzzy and nothing made sense.

Letting out a soft sigh, Abby headed for home. She had a lot of figuring out to do, and not enough time to do it all in - the phenomenon every adult otherwise knew as 'growing up'.

* * *

Before she could give up, a voice called to her from the bush, just on the shoulder of the street.

"Psst - over here!"

Now she was certain she had taken her morning crazy pills. There was plainly no-one hidden there. Had she really heard something?

This 'questioning oneself' business was harder than she thought.

"Psst - OVER HERE."

Abby walked over to the bush, but before she could completely close the distance, a sandy-haired boy, no more than ten, popped out of nowhere.

She screamed, but the boy vaulted over and jumped on her mouth before the sound escaped. "Quiet, you. Relax, and you'll be off soon enough."

Shrugging the boy off, Abby's teenage form bore down on him. "What's the big idea, tryin' to jump me like that? This ain't a stick-up, you know! And besides, do I know you or something?"

The kid's face fell. As he spoke, he didn't look once at her with his blue eyes.

"Once, yes. Seems a long time ago now. Abby, you need to know, you need to think about this sentence - Do not go gentle into the good night."

"What in the name of candy is going on here, boy?" But as she moved closer to the kid, she suddenly became aware that there were more people around. More kids, in fact. _What do they know that I don't? How does he know my name?_

"I see you brought your friends, so show's over, whoever's hiding in the bush!"

The kids did not move. The sandy-haired boy clutched at Abby's arm in desperation.

"You don't remember - anything?"

Something inside Abby broke. She lowered herself, until she was the stature of the boy, something she had probably done a million times in the distant past. Looking squarely, desperately, into his eyes, she said: "What else can you tell me about myself?"

Silence.

And then, for the briefest moment, it looked as if the kid was going to say something - but then he winked at Abby, and scampered back into the bush with his friends, melting away into the suburbia like an illusion, as if they had never been there.

And Abby was alone. One clue she had no clue what to do with, and not even sure if what she just heard was real or not. She looked around, staring at her empty neighborhood, asking to the silent, cool morning air:

"What now?"

* * *

 _The heck does a line from Dylan Thomas have to do with my missing childhood?_

As she walked back, Abby counted the squares in the pavement. Staying sane. Thinking about what that boy had said. _One two three four..._

 _A-a book he wrote, maybe? Or something else in that poem? How did the rest of it go?_ Dad always encouraged her to read, of course, but she couldn't remember something like that so quickly.

Something along the lines of 'Rage, rage against the dying of the light' popped into her head. Well, it was morning, and there was no dying sun to rage against, and so the clue still puzzled her. _I need to see the whole poem!_

Walking into her house, she made for the shelf of books in the living room, plucking the right one off the shelf. But before she could turn to the correct page, a note fell out.

Abby's heart jumped.

Seizing the scrap of paper, she opened the note in her trembling hands, and read aloud the message, written in her own shaky handwriting:

 _The Kids Next Door is real - an organisation dedicated to protecting kids against adults. Find the others. Complete the challenges. Wherever there are holes in your memory, therein lies the secrets. I've got faith in you - Numbuh Five._

 _Huh?_ she thought.

Too late, she realised someone had walked in. On instinct, she made for the exit, but then she was hit in the face with all the force of a runaway train.

Slammed into the floor, note in hand and stars in eyes, Abby could just make out a shadowy figure in the hallway. Walk over to her. Tower over her prone body with all the authority of her elder sister Cree.

"I'm sorry, Abby. I can't let you do this."

* * *

"Cree? What's going on here?" Abigail desperately scrambled to replace the book, but it was hopeless. Surely Cree knew exactly what was happening already.

Cree smirked. "You don't remember yesterday, trying ter' get all comfy with me? What's happened is that you're thirteen now, and so you've got to be decommissioned from this organisation known as the Kids Next Door. Sent down so your memory can be wiped. Captured so they can clean your head of all that combat conditioning. Turns out they didn't wipe it COMPLETELY!"

Cree swung. In a flash, Abby ducked, and the punch missed her and went into the wall. She shouted out, "Cree, what are you doing?"

"Saving you from yourself. What a shame you haven't kept any of your training!"

Abby ducked as Cree swung again, but this time she was too slow, and the punch caught her square in the face. Standing woozily, Cree swept her feet from under her, and Abby collapsed in an uncoordinated tangle of limbs. Tiny pinpricks of light jumped at the edge of her vision.

But the sheer force of the punch had awoken something in her. Quietly, she snarled:

"You're right, sis. They didn't wipe it all!"

With a roar, Abby jumped up, flailing arm catching Cree under the jaw. Momentarily dazed, Cree stared at Abby. "How did-"

"Because I learned my skills from _you_! Whatever them Kids Next Door did to my head, I still remember _your_ tricks!" Abby screamed as she landed another hit, this time from her left fist.

Harder. Faster. Cree spun backwards as she took another hit. Her sheer astonishment had left her badly surprised, and Abby was landing hit after hit. Smack. Smack. Smack.

And then suddenly Abby stopped dead. "No."

"Wha-"

"I can't do this." she said.

"I-I don't-" Cree shuffled off, a small hint of fear flashing through her eyes.

"Cree, I can't do it. I'm not in this fighting business anymore. Not with my big sis. But I've gotta go and find out what's really going on here. So let me go. Please…"

Leaving her sister on the floor, Abby turned her back to the fight. A big mistake.

Cree sprung to her feet in a flash. Abby barely heard the creak and the rustle of clothes before her sister was right behind her. Turning on the spot, Abby felt her sister's hair brush past her face, felt her hand scrape off her cheek. "Abby, don't go! You know I'm only fighting for you!"

Abby spat on the floor, sneering derisively at her sister. "Is that what you told Maurice after you broke up with him? That you did it out of some noble intention to save your relationship? Don't you get it? I need to know about my past!"

Cree, often so cool and cunning, suddenly lost all semblance of control.

Lunging at Abby, her eyes wide open, she screamed, "You know nothing! You don't know how a bunch of bratty kids can completely destroy your work!" Throwing her entire body into the punch, Cree rocketed at Abby, who dodged and caught the blow flush on her shoulder. "It's you that don't get it, Abby, 'cause you can't want to go back if you only knew everything! About losing your friends, about suddenly becoming the enemy, just because a birthday card said it's about time!"

Cree grabbed Abby by the scruff of her neck, and no matter how hard Abby struggled and kicked, she couldn't break loose. She was stuck. Breathing felt like sucking through a drinking straw with a hole in it.

Grabbing her head, Cree twisted it so that Abby was looking straight at her. "You don't know about how devious some of these types can be, because you've never seen the real world!"

Despite her situation, Abby stared at her sister, wide-eyed in disbelief. "What are ya' talking about?"

Cree sighed, quiet coming back to her face. She relaxed her grip a little, though there was still precious little that Abby got out of it. "It's the harsh reality, sis."

Abby exploded.

"SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU GROWN UP? You're just like one of them now! Don't you remember when the world meant something other than survival, when-when- aw, hell, Cree, when inside every box was an adventure? Y'know sis, there's nothing wrong with your age. Sixteen and a son of a gun, is that what they say? But there's no room left in your head for fun, or for really fighting for your rights, or worst of all, for any genuine change. Nah, you've never so much as changed your fashion sense. You know what, girl? It's not your age that's changed, sis, it's _you._ "

Cree's hands hesitated. Her eyes wavered. "I-I don't - "

Abby jumped on the chance. With an almighty push, she wrenched herself off her sister. She was so mad that she didn't even look back as her sister stumbled to the floor. Still spitting fire, she whispered, "I'm going right now, right here, and you're not to do anything to stop me from finding answers. I've gotta find my destiny, and you've got to find yours."

Before she could leave, however, she remembered something.

 _The drawing._

Hurrying back up, she grabbed the sketchbook off her table, and the drawing of that mysterious boy. As she put them all into her school backpack, Abby took a last look around at her room. Her bed in the corner, and the ever-present Yipper comic, edition number nine at her bedside. Somehow she had a feeling that she may not be back. _It's going to be a while before I see it again, if at all..._

As her feet pounded back down upon the timber steps, driven by urgency, Cree called out to her.

"Abby?"

"What?" She was still mad at her big sister, and had neither the time nor the space for her.

"I'm-I'm sorry."

Nothing could have prepared Abby for that particular response. Her sister looked at Abby, quietly, shakily.

Abby stared back at her.

Then Cree repeated, "I'm sorry."

Abby shuffled her feet, not sure if this was still another trap.

Cree picked herself off the floor, and said, "Abby, I - I don't know anymore. I don't know what to do with all this stuff in my life and I'm scared you're going to get yourself in trouble and hurt again! I don't want you to be hurt. Please...I'm sorry."

Seeing the look on Abby's face, Cree plunged on, a more businesslike tone taking over her voice: "That boy you want. His name is Wallabee Beatles and he lives in the house next to Kenny's - the guy with the chimp. Numbuh Four, as his codename is otherwise known as. You've gotta know that he's a bit hard to get to, but you'll get there anyway, one way or the other. If you've got any sense left, you'll need to convince him to come with you. Don't say I didn't warn you about the KND, though - it's a losing proposition. And if you see Maurice tell him - tell him I granted his wish."

An electric shock of realisation ran through Abby. Opening the note again, she stared at the signature. _Numbuh Five. So this is what-_

Abby walked over to the door, and as she was opening it Cree continued weakly, "Abby?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck." Cree forced a weak smile and gave her a thumbs up. "Even when you were the enemy, you were always _my_ enemy. Even when you were fighting me, it was always personal. So if you ever get your memory back, it's on again - sis."

The tears were welling up inside again. A smile on her face, Abby wanted to say something more, but instead she just winked at her big sister, and swung the front door shut, backpack and memories in tow.

* * *

Walking across the street, Abby realised that she did not have any idea how to approach this boy. Sure, she had once known him, but what could they now talk about? What common ground did they now share?

She looked at the picture again. A short, bowl-cut boy, not a day over twelve. The artist had been very good, and it was as if Abby could almost understand him by looking into the drawing's eyes. Eyes that had once promised the world, eyes that were still essentially childlike and yet so, so defensively aggressive...

Numbuh Five had always had that gift. The ability to understand where someone was coming from perfectly well in a single instant. She didn't know much about this boy, but she knew enough to be able to start off a conversation.

She was so deep in thought that she did not realise her feet had, of their own accord, carried her over to the doorstep of the Beatles. She paused, and took a deep breath.

 _Ready, Numbuh Five?_

Then, she rang the doorbell.

A tall man with a broad Australian accent peeked out. "Hello?"

"Heya..." Abagail scratched her head nervously. _What was this guys's name again? Wheatles...no, Beetles!_ "Hey, Mr. Beetles...sir?"

"What do you want?"

"I'd just wondering if I could see your son Wally, talk to him a bit...I'm a friend of his."

For an instant, she wondered, for the hundredth time today, if she had screwed up and the dad was going to slam the door in her face, but he just turned inside and shouted up the steps: "Wally!"

A weak voice answered from atop the stairs. "Coming, Dad!"

Presently Abby stood face to face with the real life, smirking, shorter counterpart of the boy in the sketch. He motioned to his dad to leave them alone. Whistling to himself, the dad walked away. "You guys catch up now..."

"So." the boy continued, eyes narrowing further. "Who the crud are ya?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Wallabee Beatles and Abby were seated around a table, and the boy was asking his dad for more chips, trying to digest the story that Abby was telling him. "So you want me...to help you look for your cap?" he said.

Abby shook her head. "Not just that, silly! I want you to help me find out what happened to my childhood memories. Look, I know it sounds like crazy talk, but I can't remember a thing from when I was a kid. It's like I woke up and all of a sudden I'm thirteen. I only know your name since my sister told me, but I'm really sure your dad also knows me, 'else he'd never let me in."

Wally scrunched up his face, the way he always did when he was thinking through a problem. "That's right. I do know you - a bit."

Abby motioned at the food. "You got something a little...more sugary?"

"Chips are best for headaches, as I always like to say." Wally snagged one, then continued. "You know, I'm not thirteen yet, but I've got the weirdest feeling that I do know ya, ya know. Like, really well. I kinda know what you're getting at. This thing sounds kinda fun. Maybe it's - it's -"

He looked around suspiciously before continuing, "Don't tell anyone this, but I just feel like the best memories of my life have been taken out and I can only remember the time when I was being picked upon by those bullies. And I don't want to remember _that_! I want to remember a time that was awesome and fun, not cruddy and boring!"

Abby smiled reassuringly. "Alright, I'll keep your lil' secret."

"Will ya?" Wally said, his eyes big.

"Sure thing, champ," Abby replied. "I mean, it's mine too, y'know. We can be the kids with screwed-up memories and as long as we're together we won't be scared of nuthin'."

A silence fell on the conversation. Then Abby extended her hand, reaching out for a high five.

"So what do you say - Numbuh Four? Still wanna find out together?"

Wally kicked his heels. "I - yeah - but I still don't understand that bit about not being Numbuh One - are you sure that slot's been taken?

Abby laughed. "Nah, we're not sure, but Four's the only number she can vouch for as safe."

"Awright then, I'm Numbuh Four. What did you say this organisation thing was about again?"

"The Kids Next Door. Dedicated to helping kids everywhere - I think."

Wally smiled, the determined smile of a boy who knew exactly what he wanted to do. He reached out and slapped Abby's open palm.

"In that case - Kids Next Door rule!"


	3. Chapter 3

Wally walked around his living room as his new friend explained to his dad the blatant lie that they were going for a walk. He'd waited for the call to action long enough, it seemed. For just the briefest moment, he felt like he was ten years old again, a sandwich or two in his backpack and a cap on his head, and ready to go off on some big adventure with his friends. The thought of that boundless possibility made him giddy with excitement.

Abby re-emerged from the sitting room. "Ready, Numbuh Four?"

"Ready to kick some butt, that's what. Let's go!"

"I like your enthusiasm. In fact, we've got to do this all by Monday night, so it's best if we speed it up. First thing we've gotta do is find the next number in the series."

For Abby had it all figured out. She was Numbuh Five, and if Wallabee Beetles was Numbuh Four, there must be a Numbuh Three, Two and One. It was only logical. Of course, finding out who were in those three slots was another matter entirely, and logic was not always what the universe served up on weekends, but it was nothing that couldn't be handled by her cool head. The more Abby kept asking questions, it seemed, the more the world she couldn't remember opened itself up to her.

"Heya...Numbuh - uh, what did you say you were again?" Wally walked over to Abby's side. "This numbers stuff is confusing."

Abby replied, "But it's fun! We're supposed to be secret agents, remember? So you coming or not?"

Wally looked back at his living room. "Yeah, but...where?"

"No clue. We'll make it up as we go along."

"...right. What numbuh did you say you were again, Numbuh Lame-O?"

"Jus' trust me, Wally!" Without so much as a look back, she took off down the street like a rocket.

Wally looked around his house, and then shouted back, "Hey, wait up!"

* * *

The next hole in Abby's memory pointed to a house at the end of the street. But just to check:

"Hey Numbuh Four, d' you remember who lives there?"

"Sure I do! It's-it's ah...Kuki Sanban!" Wally scratched his head carelessly. "Been with her since I was a little kid! Haven't seen her much since then, but still sorta know...enough about her."

Abby looked at Wally thougtfully. Kept running, the wind blowing through her hair, sans cap.

"You remember anything else about growin' up with her?"

"Err...now that you mention it, not much-"

"Thought so." Abby turned the corner at blinding speed. "Right, Numbuh Four: remember the part I said about not making any sudden moves?"

Wally's feet pounded on the sidewalk as he struggled to keep up. "I can believe you're an operative, alright. Yeah, yeah I remember, don't let Kuki get away and don't do anything to scare her. We're nearly there, right?"

"Yeah." But as the Sanban's house came into closer focus Abby gasped. Skidded to a stop before their garden. "What the-"

"What is it, Abby?" As Wally pulled up next to Abby he realised for himself. "Oh no...KUKI where are-"

Abby hit him hard across the face. "Shut up! We've got to go in quiet, you fool."

Wally seemed set to protest, then glanced at Abby's face and nodded, wordlessly.

Before them, the door to Kuki's house lay open, and an eerie silence lay upon the house.

* * *

Quietly, they shuffled into the expansive living room. Empty. Quiet. Abby moved over to the TV, touched its blank screen. Still hot, meaning someone had been here a while ago. _But who?_ Why was the living room in such perfect condition, when no-one seemed to have been here in hours, probably even days? And what was on the floor...

"Wally, look down!" Abby pointed out the colorfully-shaped stars lying in a trail. "What is it?"

Abby reached down, picked up a star. Cautiously, she tasted it. Immediately she knew what they were. "It's...Rainbow Munchy cereal? The heck is good cereal doing scattered on the floor jus' like that?"

Wally looked over, waving his arms around for attention. "Hey, hey, let me taste!"

Abby drove Wally away. "No can't do, mate. Alright - look out, Wally, we're going upstairs."

"Aww, what's the fun of being a Kids Next Door agent if you can't even have Rainbow Munchy cereal? Gimme - gimme!"

Abby sighed quietly. "Oh, all right, go get 'em, soldier - but keep it quiet, OK? You never know what things could be around here"

While Wally stuffed his face, Abby slid up the stairs, looking first in the master bedroom. Empty. The bed was well-made, as if somebody had been expecting to come back, but never did. Carefully, she checked under the bed: nothing. The room was clean. No sound from downstairs. As if it had been instinctively drilled into her, Abby stuck close to the wall as she moved slowly out of the room. No weapons, but she knew full well how to fight if need be.

She moved into what had to be the little sister's bedroom. The sun was now fully up, shining orange and yellow onto the pile of Rainbow Monkeys by the bed. Nobody here either. How about under the pile?

Step by silent step, Abby moved towards the pile, face screwed up in concentration, eyes narrowed-

INTRUDER ALERT-

"Wha-"

Before Abby had any chance to register what happened she was bowled over by a shapeless green mass. Before she could raise one fist to defend herself, the green mass had dragged her forcefully, irrevocably back into the pile of Rainbow Monkey plushies.

* * *

"Abby!" Wally's desperation echoed through the soundless house, but he didn't care. "Abby, talk to me, are you OK?"

Feet pounding up the stairs, he was sure he had heard Abby cry out, before that shout had been smothered by something. Or someone - but who else could be here?

As his feet looked to climb the last few steps, Wally's toe caught on the previous step, and he tripped on the stairs, falling face first with an almighty BANG.

"Ow - crud! Hang on Abby, I'm- what?"

Now that his face was level with the top step, Wally could see that hidden off to one side, in a recess cut into the side of the staircase, was a - a weapon?

He reached out and grabbed the wooden gun. It didn't seem to contain any ammunition, but a basic piece of two by four plywood lay attached to a magnet. As Wally scrambled to his feet, holding the oddly designed wooden gun somehow made him feel better. He still didn't know what it did, or if it did anything, but it was as if the gun had become a part of him, strengthening and making him somehow more formidable...

Walking into the bedroom, Wally had to suppress an involuntary twitch of revulsion. _Ugh, Rainbow Monkeys!_ "This has gotta be a joke..."

INTRUDER ALERT-

Wally snapped around, and a green blob missed him by inches. He suddenly realised that the thing that had tried to attack him was a person - a girl -

"Gotcha now!" the unknown girl screamed as she jumped on Wally. But he was prepared.

"Yeah? Get some of this!" Wally whipped out the wooden gun and squeezed the trigger.

SPLAT!

The piece of wood jumped up and smacked Kuki Sanban in the face, sending her spinning a few steps back.

Wally stared, stunned, as Abby popped her head out from the pile of Rainbow Monkeys. "What happened?" she said.

Wally walked over to Kuki. "That's something that I'd like to know myself. Alright, crud face, what's going-wha?"

The instant Wally stared into Kuki's bruised face the words died in his throat.

And despite all that had gone previously, Kuki smiled. Rubbing her face, it didn't appear that she'd just been hit by a flying piece of wood, and it certainly didn't look as if she ever had a care in the world. "It was a game, silly! I found the alarm system this morning, and we've been playing around with it ever since!"

Wally stared at Kuki, silenced and stunned. Finally, wordlessly, he offered his hand, helping Kuki get back to her feet. What was going on here? "Wait, don't you think it's, y' know, weird for an alarm to be set up like this? Don't you remember setting up an alarm or something?"

Kuki waved her hands dismissively. "Aw, I know, silly, but we're just having fun, how much trouble could it cause?"

"Quite a lot, seeing some of the moves you've got, girl." Abby picked herself off the floor and dusted herself off. "Listen, Kuki - I've gotta tell you something important, but first I wanna know - where is everybody else?"

"Dad's gone to Japan, and Mushi's decided to play around somewhere. She probably forgot to close the door, if you guys could get in through the front. How do you know my name anyways?"

Abby winked at Wally, who was just staring at Kuki. "If you let Numbuh Five sell you a yarn, she'll sell you the whole ball, so let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

"Listen, Numbuh Five knows it's hard to believe, but I saw this note with my own eyes, and it was written in my own handwriting, too! I don't think it can be a fake, because it just seems too planned, y'know?" Abby brandished the note at Kuki, as Wally stood guard behind the closed bedroom door, SPLANKER in hand and story finished. "And another thing, Kuki - it be cold in your house, do you mind if I turned up the thermostat-"

"NO!" Kuki almost jumped. "Dad's going to be very unhappy if you do that." Kuki buried her face in the crumpled note Abby had just produced.

"And since when have you cared about what your dad says? He's not even home!" Abby shot back.

Kuki shouted angrily back at Abby. "Since always! People are very important to me! Well, that and Rainbow Munchies, but-"

Abby and Wally looked at each other simultaneously, the same thought having flashed through both their heads. "Kuki, what's with the Rainbow Munchy trail downstairs?"

Kuki looked up from the note. "You really need to improve your handwriting. I don't read cursive - sorry, what?"

Abby sighed. "The Rainbow Munchies on the floor downstairs! Did you leave that lyin' around, too?"

Kuki stared back in puzzlement. "What Rainbow Munchies? We never had any Rainbow Munchy cereal - YOU MEAN THERE'S RAINBOW MUNCHIES DOWNSTAIRS?"

Frenetically, Abby waved her hands to block off Kuki's enthusiasm. "Not yet, Kuki - listen first! You are an operative of the Kids Next Door too. Numbuh Five - that's me - thinks that you're Numbuh Three, and if you really are, it means we're looking for two more people, Numbuhs Two and One. Don't ask me about the spelling of the word 'Numbuh'. And sit still!"

This last word was shouted, and cowed Kuki into freezing on the spot. Even Wally flinched. Abby looked around with a satisfied grin before continuing.

"As I told our dear friend Wally here, I know this sounds like crazy talk, but it can't be coincidence! It can't be that both me and Wally - and if you're the real Numbuh Three, you too - it can't be that we've both lost our memories at the exact same time. Now, Numbuh Two's going to be harder to find, because I think I remember exactly who lives in every other house around this street, so we're gonna have to split up - Kuki?"

Kuki had drifted away, and was eying Wally quietly. And the more Abby looked, the deeper the shade of red Wally's face became.

"Kuki, do you mind?"

Kuki broke eye contact with Wally. "What? Oh, oh, I know - Kids Next Door rule!"

Abby sighed again. "I can't believe I ever had you two for teammates."

* * *

As the three of them cautiously moved back downstairs, looking around suspiciously at every small creak, Abby whispered: "Now Kuki, you get to see the Rainbow Munchies - don't touch it, OK? Numbuh Four - how much was left after you stuffed your face?"

Wally looked up. "I did NOT stuff my face! I was just tasting the stars, and I can't remember what's leftover, if I'm being honest."

Presently the three reached the bottom of the steps, and Abby pointed noiselessly to the trail of plastic stars still strewn across the floor. "We're following it quietly. Understood?" she whispered.

Two silent thumbs up. The team was getting more competent at this spying stuff.

Abby's feet pattered on the floor, back bowed and eyes struggling to follow the trail of cereal, as the trail looped, spun and doubled back on itself in the living room, presently pointing straight out of the-

"Door?" Numbuh Three looked confused for the first time as she stared at her ajar front door.

Numbuh Five looked unsure too, but she quickly regained composure. "Right, I don't know how we missed this first time round, but we'd better follow it, cause it means something."

Wally drove his toe into the floor. "Forget it! I've got better things to do than mess about with this - this crazy organisation and stuff, and-"

"Like what?" Kuki asked innocently. "What else you've gotta do?"

Wally looked at Kuki, suddenly unable to answer. "I-I- That's not the point! The point is, I'm telling ya that if we've got no plan, we should-we could..."

But the rest of his rant died away into stuttering silence as Abby responded calmly, "Numbuh Five's telling you, she's got a plan, and that plan involves going where the Rainbow Munchy stars take us!"

Kuki shrugged nonchalantly. "Sounds good to me!"

Abby walked out the door, followed by Kuki, as Wally was still kicking his heels. She shouted back: "Hey, Numbuh Four, you coming or not?"

Wally looked indecisive. Looking back into Kuki's house, looking past the walls of the living room, through to the backyard, where he was sure her sister was playing. _This girl Kuki Sanban: she's -_

"Numbuh Four!"

With one decisive flick of the head, Wally wrenched himself out of his developing thought. _Ah, what the heck. You're only a kid once, right?_ "Alright, I'm coming!"

Closing the door behind him, following the Rainbow Monkey cereal, he looked up and wondered how close the three of them had ever been, whether, in fact, he had once revealed his feelings to any one of them.

* * *

In the lead, the two girls chatted away with each other. "So why is this cap so important to you again?" Kuki smiled innocently, looking at Abby's ponytails.

To her surprise, Abby's face fell. "That cap reminds me of...things, y'know? I don't wanna talk too much about it. Let's just say that a dear friend of mine gave me that cap, and I'd hate to lose it, y'know?"

Kuki was curious to know more, but Abby's face just seemed so reluctant that she gave up.

But presently the trail of Rainbow Munchy cereal ended. As Wally caught up with the two girls, he asked them, "Did we get it?"

Abby looked up from the ground and kicked the end of the Rainbow Munchy trail away, scattering the multi-coloured cereal all over the asphalt. "This ain't even right! It's supposed to take us somewhere, but I actually know this guy living in that" - she jabbed at the house - "house!"

There was a moment of silence.

Then simultaneously, Wally and Kuki said, "Really?"

"He's Maurice, you dimwits! And if Numbuh Five still remembers him, he can't be the person we're looking for, and we've now got no idea how to find- huh?"

Maurice had walked out of his house. Green sweater and white earphones snaking through his odd hair, he had changed little since he was a kid. Tapping Abby's shoulder, he grinned through his hair and said, "Hey Abby - care if I ask what you guys are doing?"

Abby blushed fiercely, as she came face to face with the one guy she did not want to confront yet. "Listen, uh Maurice, I'd tell ya, but then we'd best be going, right guys?"

Neither Wally nor Kuki moved a muscle, or said a word.

Abby facepalmed. "Oh, for pete sake!" For the first time, she was short of an idea. "Maurice, I-"

"Relax." He flashed a winning smile towards Abigail, a smile that had always left her defenseless and vulnerable to its devastatingly simple, honest charm. "Why don't you come on in and make yourself feel comfortable? I mean, Cree already told me you were coming this way anyway."

Abby's face betrayed horror. _Cree, my sister?_ How does she know where we're going? "Maurice, you've been my friend since before I was six, so help me God please, tell me what the heck is going on here?"

"Oh, you'll see in a while. I'll - Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing!"

Abby turned around.

From behind her, Wally had drawn the SPLANKER and stared directly down it at Maurice's face. "Abby, I think it's time for more...direct measures."

Maurice backpedalled rapidly back down his driveway, hands reaching behind him for the wall. "You guys don't understand! Put that thing down before you hurt someone!"

Wally played with the trigger. "Tell us what's going on before we put YOU down, mate, with a side helping of OUCH!"

Maurice, sensing it was hopeless to reason with the boy, turned instead to Abby. "Abby, you've got to trust me! This goes way beyond what you guys can imagine. I've known Cree for a while now. We're not dating - but we're kinda seeing each other - OUCH!"

Wally had fired the SPLANKER. Maurice crumpled to the floor, surprised more than anything. Even despite his short form, Wally was now standing over him. "Say one more thing about your cruddy girlfriend and it'll be double the pain for you! Enough blabbering! What do you know?"

Maurice, instead of responding, simply stared at Abigail intensely, a different dimension to his personality bubbling up: cool, confident, quietly angry. "Abby, please, don't make me hurt you...I know too much for you to handle me. Your sis sent you here, right? I'll talk, but not out here, we're too exposed. You're barking up the wrong tree, girl!"

Before Abby could react, Wally had fired again. This time Maurice's reaction to being hit in the face with wood was barely a grunt. Still looking squarely at Abby, he growled quietly, venom in every word: "Your little friend here likes to play bully, but I'll bet he don't like it too much when the shoe's on the other foot! Now explain how I know _that_!"

And despite her own growing frustration with Maurice, Abby could sense he was right.

"Numbuh Four, release him!" she said.

Wally looked, if anything, even madder after that comment by Maurice. "And why should I? I was just about to give this cruddy teen a one way ticket to-"

"I said, drop it." Abby too moved towards Maurice. "That's a direct order, so you'd best DROP IT!"

Wally let his weapon hand fall. Muttering darkly, he shot back, "Alright, but don't say I never warned ya!"

Helping Maurice to his feet, Abby walked into Maurice's house. "This better be good, old friend, 'cause this be urgent for us too."

Maurice smiled knowingly. "Oh, it's good all right..."

* * *

In the treehouse of Sector W, Keith Adams listened in on the top-secret transmissions coming out of one of their bugs. The Kids Next Door were always at the top of their game when it came to spying technology. Through the portable radio, Keith could hear every word being said.

Looking around, he ensured he was alone before tuning the radio to the correct frequency. Technically, as a rank and file operative, he was not supposed to listen in on this channel, but he'd done worse before - what was a little illicit tapping next to defying Numbuh 362's direct orders, however secretly?

Presently, Abby's voice came over, and Keith thought it sounded a little weary, but otherwise fine. _Good, she got the hint I left her._

On the radio, crackly and static-filled, but clearly, came Maurice's voice. "So this Kids Next Door is an organisation that fights adult tyranny. A bit odd, I know, but in this world of ours, it's the only choice we've got. You are all crack operatives, and I presume that only one of you - Abby, it's gotta be you, you were always the oldest - is actually over thirteen."

Another voice came on, a girl's, high-pitched and slightly annoying. "How do you know all this stuff?"

Maurice again, slightly louder and slightly slower this time. It sounded like he had gotten up and had started pacing about. "I knew you'd never break up as a sector. Friendships formed like you guys have done last a lifetime. By the way, Keith, we've been compromised, and I'd like to take our operatives for a bit of a ride. In the meantime, activate Plan B, and get off this channel right NOW!"

Keith, stunned, heard the loud _thud_ of the hidden microphone falling onto the floor, and then the _crunch_ of Maurice's feet shattering the microphone into a million fragments. _Damn, he's good. How had he known the bug was there?_

 _More importantly, who else knew?_

"Keith, what are you doing?" Tommy had walked into his room, unnoticed.

Keith hid the radio instinctively. Smiled at his sector leader. "Nothing, just chilling and reading comics."

Tommy looked unmoved. "Well, you'd better think of a better cover story, because Numbuh 86's just dialed in from the Moon Base, and she wants to know what you were doing on her classified radio intelligence."

* * *

"You're lying." Keith struggled to keep his voice from rising, but he simultaneously knew that if he said the right things, then he could escape. "How are you even here? You're not even a Kids Next Door member anymore. You're-"

"Ahh, now _that's_ quite a story." Tommy's entire face changed, became more mysterious. He pulled out a dusty, beaten fedora from his back pocket and put it on his head. Loftily, he started pacing, turning away from Keith, slipping into story mode again. "You see, Keith, back in the day, I was, indeed a Kids Next Door agent, before that whole business with Father and his Delightful Children. And yes, I did indeed take my booger out of the code module to beat Father."

He sighed. "But times change. Leaders move in and out of the organisation. And I decided, I could not stand by idly. I decided that The Tommy," and here he doffed his fedora, "The Tommy could not just sit still and watch. So one day, when no-one was looking, I snuck my booger back into the code module. But of course, it wouldn't let me back in just like that. Oh no, it required me to prove my worth, and _then_ it would let me back in. Deliver a flat box to this dodgy-looking place by this time, it said. And so-"

He stopped talking, scratching his head. "Curses!"

While he had been distracted, Keith had been long gone.


	4. Chapter 4

For the hundredth time today, Abby wondered how she could have gotten herself into such a mess. Maurice grabbed her hand, summoning the others upstairs, into his room. "Hurry! They're going to be here in minutes!"

"What's going on?" Wally shouted from the bottom of the steps. "What's the plan now?"

"I'll show you something interesting. The KND are coming, they're coming for you guys, and if you don't get out in time you won't get out at all!"

Reaching the top of the steps, Maurice reached for his room door. "It's a process called de-commissioning. They wipe your memories and make sure you can't remember anything about your times together. I suppose you guys still remember that you're friends to some degree, just not how." As Kuki and Wally barreled into the room, Maurice slammed the door shut, double-locking the plywood set-up.

His room was nothing special. A desk sat tidily in the far corner, a bed rather less neatly so in the middle of the room. Maurice began to walk over to his study table, closing the window on its right and drawing the blinds. An unnatural darkness fell over the room.

"Right, guys-" Maurice began, but was cut off by Wally. "Questions?"

Maurice sighed and peeked at his watch. "One. And make it snappy."

"How do you know all this?" Wally asked.

"Because I used to be a KND agent as well. They let me keep my secret identity as long as I kept working for them, passing information from behind the battle lines. Now, however, my main priority is to get you guys outta here and on your way. Situation report!" Maurice yelled into an old-fashioned, flip-open cell phone.

A cool, computerised voice responded: "Moving targets inbound and due here in six point three four minutes."

Maurice smiled. "More than enough time." As Abby, Kuki and Wally looked on in wonderment and complete surprise, Maurice walked over to a small picture of his family hanging beside his desk. Sliding it aside, he revealed a deep recess cut into the whitewashed wall.

Abby stared at the hole with a raised eyebrow. "Just asking, Maurice - are all KND operatives always this paranoid?"

Maurice was rummaging in the hole, looking for something. "It comes with the job." He pulled out two rifle-length laser blasters. "Hey Abby, green girl, you each get one." Tossing the rifles across the room, he walked over to the window. By now the KND transports were more than a dot in the sky. "Don't look like we've got enough time to train you guys properly, but just point and shoot anything that moves, OK?"

"Great strategy." Wally rolled his eyes, but Maurice ignored him. "Are you guys ready for this?"

Abby smirked. "Numbuh Five's always ready."

"I suppose, but remember I still don't like you, and I'll be watching ya, ya cruddy teenager..." Wally drew the SPLANKER from his back pocket.

"Right." Maurice's face was a picture of determination. Abby, you go straight behind me, and look out for enemies to my far left and right. Wally, and, er-"

"Kuki Sanban." Kuki piped up cheerfully.

"-alright, Kuki - you guard our backs. We stay together, and no matter what, don't break ranks, OK?"

Silent understanding all around. Maurice continued. "We're going to move out of the house, fighting off them if they're already there. I wish I'd caught the bug earlier, it'd given us more time. Alright, we're going to use the back door this time, so if y'all be kind enough to follow me I'll be glad to show you guys the nearest exit. Let's go!"

* * *

Somewhere deep in the Sector W treehouse, Keith was desperately trying to block out the incoming radio calls that had overrun the sector's electronic defenses. Being Electronics Officer, the technical details came naturally to him. Presently a high-pitched, half-mad scream came on the air:

"... _this is Moonbase high command, calling sector W. Just what the heck do YA BOY BRATS even THINK you're doing on MAH CHANNEL? WHEN I GET THERE-"_

Keith never got to hear the rest of what Numbuh Eighty-Six would do to him, for he had hit the jamming switch, and that familiar Irish accent was cut off prematurely. _Ten minutes that'll buy me. I need to find someone with a bunch of vehicles - I need to get out of here fast!"_

But no-one in his sector was particularly adept at driving a vehicle. Never mind that plan then. Keith looked around for a big, heavy object to smash the communications dashboard in, destroy the incriminating evidence before it could be used against him.

In the corner of his room, he spotted the hardcover edition of _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_. He was an oddity in the KND, an operative who also read books. Books were _weird_ , inside the organisation. Never mind that the whole system had been founded on the hope inspired by one particular book, then...

 _Good enough._ He picked up the book from the floor and sent it crashing into the electronics board. Smash! Smash! One or two switches flew out, clattering hollowly on the wooden floor, but it was not enough. Smash!

And then, from far off, a very different kind of smash. Someone breaking down one of his strategically-placed furniture barriers. It had to be Tommy; only that guy could make that much noise out of that little work. Whatever the case, it was clear that he was not distracted anymore.

 _Damn!_ He didn't have enough time. Sprinting over to the bed in his room, he picked up his gumball machine gun from underneath the pillow. _Always pays to be secure!_

Walking slowly, his hand had just turned the knob on his door when another idea popped into his head, an trick older than dirt.

 _The power! If I can kill the power, all their defenses will be useless!_

Again - change of plans. His hand turned his room door open, and instead of sprinting down the long winding floorboard corridor, he took a sharp right immediately.

Now he was truly on his own. Looking around him, he saw a T-junction, on which were various buttons. _The treehouse transport hub. I could go anywhere from here, but surely I want to turn right-?_

Before turning right again, Keith cocked his gun. Slowly peeked around the corner. _More buttons on the sides, all opening doorways going different places no doubt._ Turned into the open before he fully registered what else he saw around the corner.

Lee was standing there, playing contentedly with his yo-yo, determined to reel in the big catch of the day.

* * *

Maurice, Kuki, Abby and Wally moved silently down the stairs, pointing their weapons every which way. It was now late afternoon, and the sun gave enough light to see by. "No one say a word!" whispered Maurice. "Left after the stairs, understood?"

Every creak, every small scratch, and they would freeze on the step, their ears prickling, their arms ready to fight any intruders off. And yet, nothing happened. No men in black suits broke in to take any of them away yet.

But as the foursome dropped their feet on the landing all hell broke loose.

A tremendous CRASH blew in the window of the living room. Through the cloud of pulverised plaster and dust, they could see the outline of a red-headed girl jump through the broken window, and from all directions, agents sprung up like pop-up cards.

"Hands up!" The quiet of the house was shattered. The red laser sights of the agents moved like a spinning disco ball, throwing dots everywhere, points of light that quickly settled on the group-

Maurice was the first to react. "The couch!"

Abby and Kuki fired at will. The green bolts from their guns flew through the air, striking down a few agents, but more red fire came back on their position. Moving fast, skidding across the floor, the three joined Maurice crouching behind the couch. "Maurice, what are we gonna do now?"

Maurice still seemed cool. "Relax. I've known you for long enough, Abby - you're a way better fighter than ten of these mooks put together - look out, Wally!"

A KND operative had staggered around the couch, aiming his laser straight at Wally. As he pulled the trigger, Wally jumped up, and the laser missed him by inches, burning a hole in the carpet. On instinct - as if it was the only thing he could do properly - Wally swung his right fist at the target.

The punch connected with a satisfying smack, and Wally's opponent crumpled, releasing his gun in the process. Wally grabbed the weapon, and soon he too was firing back at the KND agents, who had retreated under the withering cross-fire by Maurice and his team.

Temporarily, the group had some breathing space. Maurice assessed the situation. "Right, we'll just hit that area to our left, and then we'll be clear and on our way -"

"Oh no, yer not!" A new voice shouted out from atop their couch. "Yer going nowhere without a little decommissioning from ME!"

All four instinctively aimed their guns at the top of the couch, fingers poised to fire at the slightest sign of enemy movement. For the first time, Maurice looked a little concerned, but his concern quickly gave way to a cool, serene calmness in his voice; he hid emotions well. "Numbuh Eighty-Six. Well, well, I've been waiting for a rematch for a long time, since our little kiddy-cadet sparring sessions..."

"Come quiet, Maurice! You're surrounded and ya know it! It was never a match anyway when I always won!"

But Maurice, signalling silently for his team to heave with him, shouted back. "You're right, _Fanny -_ it won't BE a match!"

With one massive shove, Maurice and his team tipped the couch over, sending Numbuh Eighty-Six sprawling and her team running for cover from the laser fire of Abby and Kuki. The brief moment of disorientation from the entire attacking force was enough.

Numbuh Eighty-Six quickly got to her feet, helped there by her agents. Angrily pushing their hands off her, she screamed: "Enough games! Kids Next Door, get them, before they es-"

A blank living room, a faint haze still clearing from the skirmish, confronted her.

"-cape?"

* * *

As Keith adjusted his grip on his bubblegum gun, he considered his options. No time to reach for any of the tools in his pocket. And no way to run back where he came. There seemed to be only one option, dead ahead of him, right _through_ his best friend in the sector.

Lee smirked at him. "Don't bother! You'd best come with me now."

There was no escape; the cramped corridor wasn't big enough for the both of them. "Lee." Keith stared imploringly at him, aware that at any moment the showdown might kick off. "Lee, please, I'm not a problem."

Lee just bounced his yo-yo off the adjacent wall, preparing for a fight. "Right you are. Says here you're a class-A traitor - a danger to the Kids Next Door's survival as a whole! Not cool, man. This arresting business ain't great, but you're still coming with us!"

It became clear that Lee wasn't going to budge. Keith tried one last time. Stated the simple facts clearly. "But I'm your friend. Do you think I'd lie to you?"

Lee shifted his cap up a little, revealing small, beady eyes that stared unflinchingly at Keith's own blue ones. His own grip on the yo-yo string tightened; the fight was inevitable. "You already did, Keith. Once." he whispered. "Once too many. That was not cool-"

A glint in his eyes. Keith reacted on instinct. As Keith drew his weapon, it fired two shots, pinging randomly around the corridor. Lee avoided them, and with one deft flick of the yo-yo smacked the bubblegum gun out of Keith's hands.

"Ha! Now give up, Keith!"

But Keith punched a button on the wall next to him, and suddenly the floor panel he was standing on dropped away, sending him down, down, down, away from Lee-

As Lee sprinted over, the trapdoor closed in his face. Too late.

"Damn it!" He pounded on the trapdoor, but Keith was long gone.

* * *

Maurice and the team sprinted out of the back door barely five seconds before the Kids Next Door agents could follow them.

Rolling off the dirt patch in the backyard, Abby helped him to his feet. "Thanks, Numbuh Two!"

Maurice looked surprised. The four of them decided to cut left, taking the street at the back of the house. As they got to their feet and began running again, feet firmly back on the street sidewalk, Maurice said in between strides, "I'm not Numbuh Two! You've got the wrong guy here, I'm afraid."

Abby's heart sank. She stared at Maurice, confused, as the two of them strode hurriedly down the street. "But if you're not Numbuh Two, then who is?"


	5. Chapter 5

As usual, Hoagie P. Gilligan, Jr.'s brother was annoying him. Running around with them Kids Next Door fantasies of his. Why, he remembered quite well, what his little brother was babbling on about just this morning: flying to the moon, fighting off an evil fire-breathing father, even a rocket postbox his friend had before he moved away. All patently impossible, of course.

He checked his digital watch; it was nowhere near time yet to put Tommy to bed.

"Hoagie, Hoagie!"

Hoagie sighed. He didn't so much as look up from his schematic designs, of which there were so many he couldn't quite remember drawing all of them. "Yes, Tommy?"

"I need your help!" That's when Hoagie realised that this wasn't Tommy. Rather, it was his friend, Keith, who was somehow in his house, and had walked into his room without so much as a squeak. This was surprising enough for Hoagie to look up from his sketches. Stuffing half of a corndog into his mouth, he said between bites: "Keith, what are you doing here?"

Keith smiled sheepishly. "I don't know, Hoagie. All I remember was pushing a button, then flying down a really long tube and ending up here!" As Hoagie stared dubiously, the young Keith looked for all the world as if he was telling the truth. But it didn't add up.

"Did you say fly down? There's no way, because what that means is that you've gotten here from a higher place. Conservation of energy and all that can't simply be broken, you know." From his table, Hoagie absent-mindedly threw a paper airplane; it soared in a circle around the room before gliding back onto his palm. Perfect engineering.

Seeing this nonchalance, Keith stamped his foot in frustration, desperate to get his message across any way he could. "I did! We've got a ginormous treehouse and all, and if you'd come with me, I can show you around! If I'm lying, explain how I got here without making a sound?"

Hoagie just kept staring unknowingly. "I don't know - maybe you're just a really sneaky person? But the rest of this must be my brother Tommy setting you up to talk to me, right? Well, you can go tell him to cut it out, 'cause I've got better things to do than talk about treehouses that can't really exist."

* * *

"Well, as it turns out, I do know where to find your Numbuh Two, if we can get there. Known him for a quite a while, you know, ever since he was introduced to the Kids Next Door by Numbuh One." As the quiet, suburban houses flashed past, Maurice noticed that Kuki was walking a little awkwardly, on account of her rifle. "Kuki, you need some help with that?"

Kuki smiled. "You remembered my name! That's so nice of you-"

"Duck!" Abby was the first one to react to the KND agents. Shoving a surprised Maurice off the sidewalk, the four of them squeezed into a tight gap between the houses on their right. From their vantage point, they could see Numbuh Eighty Six and the KND agents, about ten of them, fan out of Maurice's back yard. "Search the surroundings!" she yelled. "A-team, you'll cover our positions. B-Team, on me. Here and across the street. Let's GO."

Maurice breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks, Abby." He held out his open palm, and Abby touched it. Grinned slightly, allowed herself to relax as much as she could.

"Don't mention it, Maurice."

Suddenly, impulsively, Wally pointed his gun out of the gap. "Let's see how good these cruddy Kids Next Door are-"

But Abby knocked the rifle away from him. Hissing violently, her arms physically restrained Wally. "You fool! You're gonna blow our cover! We can't take 'em on like this, there's too many of 'em!"

Wally stared, unconvinced. Throwing his arms up in learned helplessness, he whispered right back, "Then what the crud are we gonna do, wait here until sundown?"

* * *

Keith had one last trick. Pulling a click-pen from his pocket, he thrust it out to Hoagie. "Looks like a normal ballpoint pen, right?"

Hoagie examined the pen throughly. A smile began to break on his face, as he saw through the plastic. "Looks like it, but..."

Turning it over, he clicked the pen. Nothing happened. Hoagie played with the pen in his hand, twirling it between index and thumb. "Interesting..."

Then Keith had the craziest idea.

Checking his pocket to make sure his phone was still there, he bolted for the exit of Hoagie's room. _On a dime, on the smallest chance that he would leave his room..._ "See ya later!"

Hoagie looked up, stunned. "Where are you going?"

But Keith just flashed him a cheeky, buck-toothed grin and hollered back, "There's more where that came from, if you want me to show you! Just catch me first!" Running out the room, he slammed the door in Hoagie's face and took off down the steps. Jumping off the stairs two at a time, he paused at the bottom to look back.

 _Did Hoagie buy it?_ He must have. The number one characteristic of a scientist was curiosity. A passionate curiosity that Hoagie could not resist any more than he could resist his favorite chili dog stand.

Sure enough, the door at the top of the stairs opened up. "Wait up, Keith!"

Keith almost considered waiting, too. Yet he knew the only sure way to complete his mission was to lure Hoagie to where he needed him, to bring him to the people that needed him most. He kept running.

"Catch me if you can!" Sprinting through the living room, Keith only paused to open the front door. By the time Hoagie had landed on the bottom of the staircase, Keith was taking off down the street and feeling the fresh air through his hair, bolstered by a lightweight body and years more experience of playing tag with his friends than Hoagie the almost-teen ever had.

As he pulled out his cell phone, he could hear some screaming in the background. Not a concern for the moment. Pulling out his smartphone, the KND app on the screen told him what he needed to know: that Abby, a KND agent was somewhere in the vicinity. With a direct link to the upgraded code module, it could not be wrong. Yet the app was telling him something else, something that meant this part of the mission obviously wasn't going to be easy.

Looking back and seeing Hoagie speed after him, Keith quickened his pace. The shouting grew more and more distinct, and as he began to make out individual words, the shock of realisation hit Keith so hard he almost stopped.

 _It's Numbuh Eighty Six! What's she doing here?_

Hoagie's shouts in the background now competed with Numbuh Eighty-Six's; he was gaining on Keith. "Keith, what are you doing, running from me like that? Don't you know I-"

Keith yelled back, struggling to make himself heard over the wind whipping through his ears. Panting, he shouted, "Shut up- and run harder!" He now knew exactly where to go, but he wasn't sure of what to do once there. That would require some fast thinking.

Turning the corner, Keith saw a faint wisp of smoke, barely detectable from a house at the far end of the street. He stopped, observing the scene in greater detail. Had it not been for his KND training, he would have missed the commotion going on at the house. A girl, her red hair sticking out, filed out of the house, and a bunch of kids that did not look any older than twelve. _What?_

And just like that Hoagie's footsteps were right behind Keith. Screaming, Keith twisted, trying to avoid the tumbling mass of meat and brain behind him, but it was no use. Like a cat pouncing on a mouse, Keith was pinned to the deck by Hoagie, his face tasting the dust of the sidewalk.

"Gotcha! - huh?"

The girl at the bottom of the street turned and looked straight at Keith. Her agents followed suit, drawing their weapons. Even at this distance the order was unmistakeable. "Freeze!"

Hoagie looked at Keith. "Err...oops. What do we do now?"

Keith closed his eyes and roared in frustration. "Oh, for pete's sake - just give me the pen!"

* * *

"Hey, look!" Abby whispered as the same sandy-haired boy she remembered giving her that first clue skidded to a halt at the corner. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"No cruddy idea who he is." Wally had settled for a cozy spot in the corner, near Kuki. As he sat, playing with her hands, the two of them looked oblivious to the impending danger around them.

Abby wasn't amused about being ignored. "Will you guys find another time to flirt?"

Embarrassed, Wally wrenched himself off Kuki. "We're not flirting! We're just good fr-"

Suddenly, the sandy-haired boy was rugby-tackled to the ground by a much bigger kid that came flying out of the corner. With a triumphant look, the boy screamed, "Gotcha! Huh?"

Hearing the noise, Numbuh Eighty-Six turned and stared up the street, guns facing the same way with her, like soldiers snapping to attention simultaneously. "Freeze!"

As Abby watched, the boy grabbed the pen from his captor.

Something clicked inside Abby's mind. A feeling of deja vu, of having seen that pen somewhere before. Some animal instinct awakened, bringing her to her feet, ready for action.

From behind, Maurice was holding on to her. "Abby, what are you doing? Sit back down!" But Abby didn't listen. As her senses went into overdrive, her brain and limbs were telling her, unquestionably, that the time to strike was-

"NOW!"

* * *

Off to his left, Keith heard a familiar voice yell out, "NOW!"

He paid the voice no heed. There were more important things. Throwing Hoagie off him, he climbed to his feet, and clicked the ballpoint pen, twisting the top around. The pen clicked a series of times:

 _Kids Next Door 2x4 technology: SQUIDEIFY_

 _Simple Quality User-friendly Ink Device for Enemies In Front of You_

The pen expanded and elongated, its outwards components blowing up to many times its diameter, eventually forming a long PVC pipe, open at one end. And as the stunned agents at the bottom of the road stared in disbelief, the end of the pen stretched downwards. A handle and trigger emerged out of plastic formlessness. To complete the device, a sight popped up at the end of the PVC tube, ready for firing. A small digital screen, on the trigger, flashed out a series of numbers. _Time to activation: 0:30._

This transformation took all of three seconds. Hoagie stared in wonder, as Keith smiled viciously, admiring his weapon. He was wielding an ink bazooka.

* * *

As Numbuh Eighty Six stared in horror at the sudden reversal of fortune, her subordinates looked to her for the next move, dazed and confused.

 _Focus! Think!_ She forced herself to concentrate, to return to the matter at hand. Presently she felt her head clearing up. Her vision stopped spinning.

That felt better. Even in battle she displayed a surprising amount of cool, given her otherwise fiery personality.

 _First things first..._

Her instinctive judgement about the boy had been right. This was no ordinary kid. No, the boy was clearly a member of the KND. But she refused to back down. She couldn't. How could she face her leader, her mentor, if she couldn't even deal with some renegade boy agent and four decommissioned teens?

Waving her hands about, she shouted at the agents that had come with her. "What are ya waiting FOR? Don't just stand there - SHOOT THEM!"

The agent stared at her, as the others let their weapons fall to their sides. One walked over to her, tapping her on the shoulder. "Ma'am, _which ones_?"

"What?" Numbuh Eighty-Six looked off to her right, to see Abby and her friends running down the street, laser rifles firing squarely at her. As she stared down the barrel, Abby fired, and a laser bolt streaked through the air, bound for her shocked body-

Before the bolt reached her, the agents shoved her to the ground. He lay prone next to her, firing back at Abby. "You OK, Ma'am?"

Numbuh Eighty-Six nodded. The shock jolted her into action. Picking herself up despite the laser fire, she yelled out her orders, "Split up, team! Ya guys get ink boy at the top. I'll deal with our decommissioned teenagers myself..."

* * *

The green bolts of the agents soared over Keith's head, a by-product of the natural slope of the street. Keith cursed the infernal loading times of KND two-by-four technology. _They can make a rocket fly to the moon, but not cut out loading times that belonged in some bad 90s video game port?_

Too late, he saw an agent down the street, aiming a gun at him. Too late, Keith ducked, and the agent squeezed the trigger, just as Abby jumped on the agent.

The bolt missed by inches. Passing by his right arm, he looked at his bazooka, breathless, desperate once more. Mercifully, happily, the ink counter beeped. _Weapon system online..._

Hoagie stared, weaponless, breathless, as Keith pulled the trigger.

At first nothing happened.

Then a massive barrage of ink spurted out of the tube. Like an ink flamethrower, the jet of black ink flew at the terrified agents, and hit their stunned faces with all the force of water jetting out of a fire hose. The shot bowled them over, and just kept going straight through.

Aiming the bazooka slightly downwards, he yelled out for his friends, for all the world to hear, "Get out of the way!"

He had no knowledge of whether his friends had been caught in his cross-fire or not. All he could do was hit and hope, as he pointed the bazooka further downwards, sights fixed squarely on Number Eighty-Six.

"You heard the man - get out!" Abby dragged Wally by the scruff of his neck as the others desperately tried to get out of the line of fire. "Scram!"

"Numbuh Five, for the record, this is the worst plan ever-" Wally whined.

"Shut up!" Maurice was backpedalling, trying to repel the fire and ire of Numbuh Eighty-Six's troops. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen the first line of troops wiped out by the ink cannon, removed from the battlefield without so much as a scream.

And as he fired one last bolt back, he could see the stream of ink being diverted downwards: directly at him-

"Get out, get out!" Maurice threw down his rifle and sprinted crazily away. Abby followed suit.

As she sprinted across the street and practically threw Wally to the sidewalk, Kuki caught up with her. "What happens now-"

Then the ink tsunami hit.

Abby only had time to catch a glimpse of Numbuh Eighty-Six, furious and breathing fire, before she was blocked off from view by a wall of black, pulsating ink.

The entire KND team was wiped out with one blast, their laser rifles no match for the sheer force of the ink that swept them downstreet.

As the blast ended, Abby noticed that the ink had splattered on her shirt. She had no weapon. But it didn't matter now. For Numbuh Eighty-Six was nowhere to be seen, and her entire team had vanished like a bad nightmare that never was reality.

The sandy-haired boy was walking down the now empty street, surveying the damage his weapon had made. Turning the handle of his bazooka, the weapon shrunk back into being a pen just as he spotted the exhausted Maurice, Abby, Wally and Kuki. Coming with the sandy-haired boy was some other kid with goggles and a slightly dorky expression. But at that moment, Abby didn't care one bit about dorky or facial appearances: the two of them had just single-handedly saved their collective behinds.

Crossing the road quickly, the boy with the pen offered Abby his hand. In a voice she had already heard once, he helped Abby to her feet. "You OK, Abby?"

Dazed, she looked around; just to be sure she wasn't seeing things. The street was indeed deserted, and the neighborhood was perfectly quiet once more. Taking it all in, she looked at the mysterious boy, and answered weakly, "Yeah. Who are you?"

The boy smiled contentedly. "I'm Keith."


	6. Chapter 6

As the six of them sat down on the sidewalk, an impromptu conference clearly of massive importance, Maurice spoke first. "Do you guys have the full picture about why and what you're doing?"

Everyone except Keith shook their heads. Abby smirked at Maurice. "When you explain it, start from the beginning, OK? Cause this boy here's a lil' slow." As she played with Wally's hair, he responded, "Hey! That's not true!"

Abby laughed at Wally. "Jus' kidding, son - you're cool." Turning her attention back to the conversation, she looked at Maurice, eyes imploring him to continue. "Your show, Maurice. Now we've known each other since we was little, so don't ya dare make stuff up because Numbuh Five can tell."

Maurice looked both ways across the street before he began his speech. "Alright. Firstly, Keith: gimme a high-five." He reached across the group with his palm open; Keith slapped it with a resounding smack.

Maurice continued, "Anyway, that was some mighty fine work you did back there. Now the rest of you: I know Abby's probably explained a little to you already, but I'll start from the beginning anyway: All you guys are actually in a top-secret organisation sworn to protect kids against adults. You go by your code numbers, which replace your names when you go on official missions." Looking around the rest of the group, as he said this he pointed at the person he was recommissioning. Five," he winked at Abby, " Four, Three, Two. Our boy here Keith's Numbuh Seven. Each of you have had something taken from you - physical or emotional - that you can get back in the next twenty four hours. Because I've been her friend when we were very young, I only remember Numbuh Five's hat, so I can't help the rest of you, but you'll all know what's been missing when you see it.

Shrugging it off, Maurice looked at the group before him again, seated in a semicircle on the sidewalk. "Believe it or not - you guys have been here before. All of you were once Kids Next Door agents, but y'all underwent a process called de-commissioning, where all your memories relating to the Kids Next Door have been wiped. That's why you can vaguely remember each other as friends, but not what you guys did together. You guys were together as a team of agents before, so all the missions you did together would naturally be removed from memory. And it was a quite superb team, if I may add. What's happening now is that I've been assigned as your guide for this part of your lives, should you choose to accept the things I ask you to do. Any questions?"

Simultaneously, all four of them raised their hands.

Maurice sighed. "Numbuh Two - Hoagie?"

Hoagie scratched his head, disbelief written on his face. "Sorry if this sounds a little hard to believe, but this-this Kids Next Door - did it really build that ink cannon thingy with the pen?"

Maurice smiled. "Perks of the job - our incredible technology." Reaching swiftly in Keith's pocket, he flicked the pen over to Hoagie, who caught it with both hands open. "You can keep that weapon if you like it. Besides the guns, we've also got transports made mainly out of old campers and duct tape. All of you have a special role to play, which you guys will find out in due course. For example, Keith is a Electronics and Communications Officer, which means he specialises in electronics - the newest branch of ou technology. A bit shady on whether it can still be considered 2 x 4, but there you go." The question satisfactorily answered, he pointed at Kuki. "Kuki?"

"What time do they break for cookies?"

Maurice shrugged. "Changes from week to week, same as the meatball sandwich menu at Moon Base." Kuki's eyes widened, as Maurice realised what he had let slip.

Kuki jumped up. Excited, she squealed, "They've got a base on the moon!? I wanna- I wanna-"

Maurice also jumped up, waving his hands and shaking his head violently. "Don't say that - Shh - SHH!"

Instantly, Kuki clapped her hand to her mouth. With an apologetic look on her face, she sat back down. Through her hand, she managed to squeak out, "I mean - They've got a base on the moon?"

Temporarily stuck, Maurice turned on Keith, who's eyes flashed back his answer instantly. _Might as well tell them._

Turning back to the rest of the group, Maurice said, "Yeah, we've got people on the moon, but it's quadruple top secret - don't tell anybody you guys know. Promise?"

Silently, all four of them crossed themselves very solemnly.

Immediately after the little ceremony, Maurice got back to business. The sun was starting to paint the world a dim orange, and he knew that he had to get them to listen to him and do what he said, at least for the night. "Next - Wally?"

"If the Kids Next Door don' want us, why should we join back up?"

"Good question, Numbuh Four. Looks like you're smarter than I thought you were when you hit me with that SPLANKER." Maurice looked into the distance, the way he always did when musing over a question.

At length, with the rest of his friends intently watching his face, he answered:

"I suppose it's not a matter of whether they want you or not. I suppose - it's more a case whether or not you want them. If you wanted to, y'all could walk away from here, perfectly fine, and you could go back to your houses and wake up the next day with nothing but a blurry memory of what happened today and a vague sense of doing something awesome or scary, depending on how you view combat. And when Monday rolls around, you'll be back in school, learning about triangles, or the War of Independence, but not truly caring about anything that substitute is yapping on about. There'd be nothing I could do to stop you from choosing that. But I know you guys wouldn't do that. You're all different. It's the reason you were ever chosen for the Kids Next Door in the first place."

As Maurice paused, Abby put up her hand, but he waved the gesture away; he wasn't done. "You guys must know now: whatever decision you make is very important, and obviously I want to see you back in the Kids Next Door, but this choice is yours and yours alone. Think hard, 'cause I'll ask you guys again at the end. Give yourselves the chance to try again."

There was a short, reflective silence before Abby raised her hand again.

"How d'ya know all this? Aren't you sixteen?"

"Top secret, Abby." Maurice ran a hand across his face, through his hair, before continuing, "I've already told you guys a lot more than you can know. You'll find out when it's the right time."

"Maurice, something's not right here. You're sixteen; and yet still a Kids Next Door member. Abby's just turned thirteen yesterday, and she's found a note that's written by herself, sure as sundae. Trouble is, she don't remember writing it!"

Pulling a crumpled piece of paper from her backpack, she thrust the note into Maurice's hands. As Maurice scanned the paper hastily, he recognised the distinctive, flowing script that was Abby's trademark. Wide-eyed, he slammed the paper in his deepest side pocket.

Abby continued urgently. "So how do we know if this whole thing is real? I don't think it's all fake, 'cause it can't be that all four of us," she gestured at Kuki, Wally and Hoagie, who were all looking increasingly skeptical, "it can't be that we've all lost our memories at the exact same time. But it can't be all real either. Why don't ya' show us this stuff? Let us play around for a bit?"

For a moment, everyone stood still, as Abby bore down on Maurice.

Then Maurice stood up, a new idea flashing through his head. "Tell ya' what, you're right. Why don't I show you guys around?" As he got up, he noticed that the sun had dipped a bit lower. The daylight was running out. "After I show you where you guys used to hang out, you can tell me if you want it any more, OK?"

With a singular force of will, the other five wrenched themselves off the roadside. Maurice was already walking further down the street. "Come on!"

As if on independent instinct, the four of them moved simultaneously, feet chasing Maurice to places unknown.

* * *

As he rounded the corner, Maurice pointed out a white house on the left, halfway across the street. From the top of the street, he shouted back to the others, who had lagged behind him, "Do you guys see it?"

Kuki and Wally were the first ones around the corner. As their eyes scanned the street, she answered, in her typically high pitch, "That one with the red roof?"

Maurice nodded back. "Yeah, that one. D' you guys see what's next to it?"

Abby sprinted around and slid to a stop before Maurice. "Don't see nuthin' at this distance."

"Let's get a bit closer then."

As Hoagie and Keith eventually walked up to them, deep in conversation, the six of them walked down the street, until they were directly opposite the white house.

And Abby could finally see the treehouse. And she couldn't restrain a little giggle.

"That old box right there? Is that what you wanted to show us?"

Keith looked at Abby with his eyebrows burrowed. "You really don't see it? The-the ship, the telescope, the treehouse? You can't see _any_ of that?"

Abby stared at Keith almost as if he were insane. But before she could respond, Wally jumped in. "I don't see nothing but a box stuck in a tree. Cut the crud, mate - what are we supposed to be seeing?"

Keith was now throughly confused. "Maurice, how come I can see it?"

Maurice had looked confused as well at first, but gradually a knowing look broke on his face. Muttering to himself, he started pacing back and forth, throwing back his hair every once in a while as it fell before his eyes.

"It used to be that they'd just take the treehouse away when people got decommissioned. I can see it, though. It must be some sort of cloaking device then, projecting an ordinary hologram where the actual treehouse is. Only an active KND agent, or someone who knows about it and have seen it before, like the Delightful Children can see the treehouse as it looks. But..." Maurice stopped. His voice trailed off as he looked up, his fingers tracing out invisible lines and angles in the sky.

Hoagie looked concerned. Sidling up to Keith, he whispered, "So, when are the men in white suits gonna take him to the happy hotel?"

"Shut up, Hoagie! You know it's-"

Maurice had stopped pacing. Everyone looked at him for an explanation.

"If you guys stand where I show you, you'll be able to see it, and then you won't be able to unsee it no matter how hard you try."

Walking twenty steps to the right and three paces back, Maurice stamped on a spot in the concrete. "Here! Come over here and look."

All four ex-operatives ambled over to where Maurice had indicated. Abby in particular growled at Maurice with increasing annoyance. "Last chance, Maurice-"

"Look up!" Maurice prompted. Abby did so, and still saw nothing.

Then the magic happened.

As if summoned by some ancient spell, a simply gihugic treehouse sprung forth from the treetop. It dwarfed the house, reduced all two storeys of window and furniture to nothingness next to it. From its sides, the different wings of the superstructure sprouted out, unfolded past each other like a tremendous giant awakening and stretching. A huge spaceship, and a massive landing bay with a number '2' painted on it. A telescope. A bunch of other rooms with numbers painted on them: '4' and '5'.

And in the very center, tallest of them all, like the star atop a Christmas tree, a giant block with the initials 'KND'. There was no need for anyone present to ask what that meant - all of them knew instantly.

As one, Abby, along with the rest of the group, whispered in dumbstruck awe. 'Whoa.'

Maurice was beaming from ear to ear as he walked over to the group. "Hope you like the look of the place, because it's all yours if you want it."

By this time Keith had walked over to Maurice. "How did you know?"

Maurice looked at Keith with all the seriousness of a master trying to impart crucial wisdom to his pupils. "Keith, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on your point of view. Sometimes, all you need is the right perspective, and a little imagination."

Abby was the first to wrench herself away from the view. Joining up with Keith and Maurice, she nodded at the latter with a new wonder in her eyes. "This whole setup's weird, but it's real alright - Numbuh Five's convinced. There's no way you could've fed me enough Brain Twisty candy to make me see what I just saw."

At the sound of conversation behind them, the others pulled themselves away too. As Kuki, Hoagie and Wally stared, the conversation died away.

For one moment, no-one said anything. No-one needed to.

Then Maurice flicked his watch. "If you guys wanna explore, we're gonna have to host a slumber party or something in there, cause it's getting late. We should-"

Kuki squeed. "A slumber PARTY? Let's go-let's go!"

Fatherly and proud, Maurice held out a palm. "Cool it, Kuki. I've gotta ask these other guys first whether they want in. Abby, what d'ya say?"

Abby looked around, searching for the right words to express her emotions, as if her surroundings would magically suggest to her what to say, or what to do. Finally she shrugged. "Well, you're crazy, and this whole organisation is crazy! But what the heck. I've got nothing better to do anyways."

Maurice winked. "Called it." He looked at Hoagie. The spark in the boy's eyes was so clear he felt he didn't even need to ask. "Hoagie?"

"Me two!" He laughed. "Get it? I'm Numbuh Two-"

Maurice waved him to a stop. "We know, we know." He couldn't resist a sneaky grin, though, as he turned to Kuki. "Kuki?"

Kuki jumped at the chance, waving two hands of three fingers about. "Me three! Sleepover time!"

 _Figures._ "Wally?"

Wally didn't even think twice. Determined, he said, "Me two-four."

Keith pumped his fists, as Maurice just smiled at the four operatives before him. "I suppose all that's left for today is to go check out the treehouse."

* * *

In the treehouse, Maurice said, "Well, you guys can go off exploring now, but don't lose anyone else-"

Before he could finish, the kids had already gone in their different directions, eager to explore this new toy of theirs. All except Keith, who still stood there, looking quizzically at him.

Maurice sighed. _Figures._ "Well, I suppose it's just you and me then for tonight. Wanna hang out here for a bit?" He looked around at the meeting room, the circular pit in the middle, and decided it was a distinctly odd place to be.

Keith smiled. "Sure thing."

* * *

When she came around Numbuh Eighty-Six's first reaction was pure fury.

 _They can't get away with attacking me like this!_ As she gradually began to take stock, she realised that she was back at the local Kids Next Door command, where her ink-sodden troops were regrouping. Obviously some time must have passed when she was out, for the sky was quickly turning an inky black. She was lying on her back; somebody had put her there, and the only things she could see were a bunch of boys rushing about on the lawn, over to a secret Kids Next Door treehouse base, in preparation for something big.

She picked herself off the grass. Now was not the time to shout at her underlings. Now was the time to take stock and regroup.

As she walked over to the treehouse, she was already thinking of how she was going to decommission the whole lot of them. It would be satisfying enough for her last mission. Taking on some of the best operatives around - for she was now sure that they might not have forgotten everything - would be a fitting conclusion to a great career in the Kids Next Door, doing the job that no-one else had ever wanted.

Passing through the secret passageway, she allowed herself a bit of time. _I'm nearly thirteen meself! When my turn comes, who's going to do it...who'd take my place? Would I want to go as gracefully?_

This was unusual. She'd never thought about it. It would be very hard when the time came.

But that was in the future. In the present, in the here and now, there were six operatives on the run, including one class A traitor and two confirmed teenagers. She'd always thought in terms of the moment. To her, the present was a way of postponing the future, for the future would always become present, and there would be no need to think ahead, no future to contemplate...

 _Enough._

She had reached the central command room in the treehouse. She walked over to a boy officer that was staring into a radar screen, a slightly charred book to his side. "Numbuh 451, how's the pursuit going?"

Numbuh 451, who had a dirty fireman's helmet and suit on, saluted back at his Global Tactical officer. "Sir, the fugitives are in the process of being tracked down. We should be able to use the KND satellite system and trace them in a short time."

Numbuh 86 smiled. _Good._ A strange calmness descended on her as single-mindedness took over. In this present time, she wanted just one thing.

 _Revenge._


	7. Chapter 7

In the darkened living room of the treehouse, Wally stared at Kuki, spreadeagled on the couch as he returned from the bathroom. Around the room, beanbags were scattered roughly in a semicircle around the giant screen TV. _A bit rich of this place, but I suppose it's all ours anyway._ As he sauntered over to the couch, he said in his broadest Australian accent, "How's it going?"

Kuki giggled. "You speak funny! I suppose that's because of where you're from, right?"

 _Aw, heck!_ A nervous look flashed across Wally's face as he realised he was speaking to Kuki, alone, for the first time at the end of a crazy day. Looking her in the face, he could only say, "I-I suppose?"

What should he say now? What _could_ he say now?

Wally looked desperately around the room for a topic of conversation. There was nothing in the room that jumped out at him as being suitable to start a conversation. Sometimes he wished he was just a little bit smarter, so that he could talk with more than just his fists. _Say something - anything!_

In front of Kuki's attentive eyes, Wally blurted out, "How - how was your day?"

As soon as he said it he wanted to take it back. _Aw, crud. What a stupid question._ What was Kuki supposed to do in response, jump up and pretend that a day started off by being hit in the face by him, Wally, had somehow gotten any better? _Stupid and silly!_

But miraculously, Kuki laughed it off. "It was great, silly! I got to have fun with my friends, that I haven't seen for a while."

Wally stared at her, stunned. "Don't you remember _anything-_

Kuki's smile faded ever so slightly. Sitting up on the couch, she leaned a bit forward. "Wally, I do remember! But I don't know about this whole Kids Next Door business. It just seems so- so random, and I don't know if all of us will have the same kind of fun if we all joined up. I don't think everyone would be happy about waking up together every morning and having that Rainbow Munchy cereal we found earlier. It's boring."

Wally breathed a huge sigh of relief as his brain registered that Kuki had not hit him back yet. And then he remembered an unanswered question, an anomaly in his memory. "Kuki, where did that cereal come from? You said ya didn't have no cereal-"

Kuki answered him simply. "I don't know. Why?"

"Err...I kinda-"

"You _love_ Rainbow Munchy cereal, don't ya?"

"I-I..." Unable to deny the truth, Wally opted for an unconvincing smile, halfway between yes and no. "I guess I kinda do?"

 _How did he always get himself into these messes?_

Kuki patted him on the head. "It's alright. I'm not gonna make fun of you for liking that sort of thing. Who d'ya think I am, an airhead?"

In spite of himself, Wally found himself smiling. "Never for a second."

Kuki rolled around a bit, then sprung back up. "Let's watch some TV!" she squealed. "I mean, we're having a sleepover here, right? What's a sleepover without a little Rainbow Monkey show?"

Wally had no time to respond, for Kuki jumped off the couch and pressed him down beside her.

"Come on, silly, sit down beside me! Where's the remote?" Looking around the empty living room, the remote was nowhere to be seen, and Wally realised that he, Wallabee Beetles, would have to find it, scramble blindly in the dark until he saw it.

Why did remotes always disappear when you were watching TV with your good friends?

Finally, Wally spotted the small plastic device, hidden under a half-opened crisp packet. As Kuki started to kick back on the couch, Wally hit the big red button, and the TV sprang to life. A cartoon started playing on the screen. "Rainbow Monkeys, Rainbow Monkeys..."

Kuki jumped as she screamed out the next verse, "OH SO VERY ROUND AND SUPER-"

Wally groaned and hit the remote again; the colourful Rainbow Monkeys zapped out of existence. "Next channel! Enough with the Rainbow Monkey crud!"

Kuki sprang off the couch, lunging for the remote. "You change that channel back right now!"

Wally held the remote high over his head, a playful grin starting to form on his face. _This_ he knew how to handle. "How about ya MAKE me?"

Carelessly flicking a button, he fully expected the channel to switch to the sports station, but instead another, older cartoon popped up. Must not have done it correctly. He paid it no heed, until a particular scene caught his eye. "Huh?"

A different style of animation, reminiscent of the classic movies. Strangely, it was one which Wally now remembered watching as a little kid. Even more strangely, he had liked it - kind of.

Now Kuki had stopped too. As she plumped herself squarely back on the couch, she stared at the screen blankly before the realisation hit her. "Oh - I remember _this_ movie!"

Wally's eyes furrowed behind his bowl-cut hair. Slowly, carefully, he sat down too, edging up to Kuki on the couch. He was beginning to remember how the movie went.

To nobody in particular, he said, "Yeah, I do too. My parents were waltzing to the music when I was a little kid! It sure brings back memories."

Kuki eyed him cautiously, quietly. As if thinking about what to say. "Well-"

Wally waited, sinking slightly into the couch, ignoring the TV and just looking straight at Kuki.

"Well, we're big kids now, aren't we? Do you wanna dance?"

Wally's mouth dropped open.

Presently the TV screen broke the silence. A prince on a magical floating carpet, holding out his hand to the princess. On screen, the prince said, "Do you trust me?"

Grinning stupidly, Wally nodded. He got off the couch and took Kuki's hand for the first time. In the half-darkness, the two of them moved as one, moving side by side in quiet wonder, in wonderful quiet, just as the soaring, magical music tinkled softly in the background.

"I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid..."

Wally closed his eyes as he just let go, as he moved in time to the music. He didn't need to see Kuki to realise he liked her a whole lot, and it didn't take words to tell that she liked him just as much.

* * *

Lying on his back, Keith stared vacantly in the dark at the high wooden dome above his head, waiting for sleep to come. Maurice was sitting opposite him, looking bored, waiting, it seemed, for the dawn. Idly, Keith tossed a question over to Maurice, almost as a matter of courtesy. "So, what've you been up to since I was gone, sir?" he asked, flicking his pen between his fingers.

Maurice smiled at the kid, six years his junior. "Just doing my job, same as you are. While you were busy telling Abby everything she needed to know, I was trying to convince Cree to let Abby leave. She was having none of it until I reminded her she used to be an agent as well, and if she really wanted her lil' sis to be happy, she'd let her go. And then I explained to her what we were doing. Even then Cree didn't go quietly, because of the risk - I think it took Abby's rant to finally convince her to let Abby do this."

Keith interjected, "What risk?"

Maurice looked concerned again. "For starters, Numbuh 86's gotten involved. I don't know how other people in the KND know about this mission, but they know all right. And their involvement means other problems - for example, a whole squadron's seen you take out them with two by four technology. There's no other explanation for that: someone knew about this mission, someone very high up - and blew this mission. Normally we'd have a lot of time for these type of missions. Normally sector V would've had more time to find each other and get to know each other, walking around, trading experiences before they came around to me. Here it just seems like they've been chased right to my doorstep! Something's really not right, Keith, and if we're not careful, we could all be wiped out. You know that, right?"

Keith shook his head. "Call it off, then. Forget Situation R! Why didn't you tell them they could be wiped out if they agree to the mission? What if they wanted to say no?"

Maurice looked at Keith ruefully. "It wouldn't stop the Kids Next Door from chasing all of us down - we know too much now. In any case I don't think Sector V would have said no even if I gave them the choice. I knew them when they were kids, and they'd always give everything for the cause. That kind of devotion goes beyond just doing things together as friends. You can take a kid out of the Kids Next Door, but sometimes you can't - won't ever - take the Kids Next Door out of him."

A silence that the cool night air dominated. Finally, Keith let out a low whistle. "They must really want this badly."

"Given the chance, everyone in the Kids Next Door would." Maurice sighed, resting his neck on the slightly damp wooden bench in the tyre pit.

Not really looking at Keith, he continued from earlier, as if he had never been interrupted:

"As I was saying, Cree's story's a bit of a hard one to accept. Now I understand y'all think she's your enemy - you in particular may have your memories of fighting her when she tricked us into signing that fake treaty, way back when - but in reality, all she really wants is for this whole decommissioning process to stop. Let kids remember the awesome times they had together, y'know? This whole business really got to her when she realised that one day her sister would be decommissioned too. Long before that, she already knew that if she went on the run, they might one day find her, and decommission her, and she'd lose her memories. _That_ she could at least live with, even if she could never take it lying down. But she couldn't bear to watch it all happen to her sister."

"Now, she's grown up a lot since then, so I'm not even sure if any of that's true anymore. But so far as I know, that's her secret mission, Cree - to preserve the rights of kids everywhere to their memories. It's a lonely, solo trek across the lines of families and friends. I don't blame her for getting a little mad at times."

Another heavy silence followed.

Keith's eyes wandered up, absent-mindedly kicking the tyre as he thought about what Maurice had said. Tossing the pen into the cool, dark air, twisting and falling like the thoughts in his head, he tried to keep as neutral a voice as possible as he eventually said: "Well - it's hard to disagree with her, sir, when you put it like that."

Maurice raised one eyebrow. Sitting up a little straighter, his voice took on a guarded dimension as he spoke softly. "Careful there, soldier. If you'd said that to anyone up in higher command they'd have you decommissioned before you could say traitor."

Keith laughed softly. "No need for such precautions, sir. I've already been listed as a Class A traitor by Moon Base command. If they catch me, they'll decommission at will."

Maurice sat bolt upright. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he talked a little louder, spoke a little more urgently. "That was quick. Who d'ya think's in charge now?"

Keith dismissed Maurice's concern. Running a hand through his hair, he casually shrugged, "Does it matter? The Elite Four are all trying to seize control of the Kids Next Door. Since Abby left, we've had nothing but squabbles and fights over such _stupid_ things! Catching an eavesdropper like me is like a game to them. But I've got a mission to see through before that happens, so they'll just have to wait, I suppose."

Maurice didn't seem happy with Keith's casualness. "This could turn bad real fast. These are dark times, man - the Kids Next Door's going further and further away from what it was when I first joined. How much time before they realise we're all holed up here?" As he spoke, he flipped open his phone again, staring nervously at the tiny plastic screen, glowing red and green in the darkness. "We need to know at least to the hour their time of arrival, so that operation MEMENTO isn't screwed up. You understand, right - perfect timing is needed for this to succeed? Perfection down to the-"

Keith cut Maurice off, scrambling to his seat in the cramped tyre pit, eyes open. There was no question of going to sleep now. "Yeah, I get it, I get it. I don't know exactly when they'll come - but we could find out, of course, with the advanced technology here. I did a little looking around in the communications bay, and among other things, this place's got the electric morse typewriter - a major improvement over the old silly-string can phone lines, if you ask me."

Maurice shrugged. "Eh, I liked hearing my friend's voice over the can. But I suppose the upgrade'll do. Let's go find out." Now standing in the pit, he wondered out loud: "How did I ever move around in this?"

Keith laughed. Jumping up from his seat effortlessly, he felt invigorated, filled with a new sense of purpose. As his feet pounded on the wood, he shouted back over his shoulder, "You'll get used to it again. Now come on, old man, are you gonna help me search this place or not?"

* * *

Abby wondered the dark, cavernous treehouse alone, the strange tape player in her pocket. Now that her feet were back on what Keith and Maurice called home territory, she felt a little bit better, a little more oriented. _Maybe I did come here and play with Hoagie and Nigel a little, though I certainly don't remember the treehouse being this big, or this complicated, ever._ Then again, the imagination of a child was a wonderful thing. It was probably her own imagination, in some part, that had gotten her here in the first place.

 _Funny thing to have, the mind,_ she mused. _When all is done and dusted, the only thing left in it is your spirit. But at least no-one could ever take that away._

She walked the tunnels, marvelling at the detail of construction, before she realised that her feet had taken her to the balcony. As her feet tapped lightly on the wooden floor, she took in the freshness of the night air that breezed gently into the corridor. Soon she was out on the balcony itself, standing against the railings.

And there, high up on the treehouse, she saw the stars like never before.

A thousand points of light, streaking across the night sky, dense in their constellations, rich with adventure and promise. Twinkling and blinking, they seemed to make light of the enormous distances between them and Earth. After all these years, the sight of it all still took her breath away. Were there worlds around distant stars? Was there, as a famous song had once said, a man on the moon?

As a kid, she had always wanted to wander off. Count the stars out one by one. Maybe pluck them out of the sky and put them away in a box somewhere, saving it as a gift for someone really special. As a kid, she just knew. Someday she'd see them all, up close and personal. Someday...

Perhaps, just perhaps, she never really grew up after all.

"Couldn't sleep?" A voice jolted Abby out of her reverie. On the other side of the balcony, half-covered in shadow, Hoagie was sitting in a chair, watching her. "It's OK, neither could I. I've always liked to think like this, quiet and alone, with the stars only."

Abby looked at Hoagie in surprise. "Hoagie? What are you doing up here?"

Hoagie smiled mysteriously. Leaning back, his feet tapped the wooden balcony softly, keeping time to an unheard beat. "Same thing as you, I suppose, only I've been here longer than you, and I still don't know what to do. This whole thing's just caught us up so suddenly that I've got no idea how to feel about it all."

Abby walked across the balcony, staring off into the distant night. "There's no right or wrong way to feel about it. Suppose it's just like the stars. There ain't no right or wrong in them. So go on and feel whatever you want. Though", she added ruefully, "Numbuh Five supposes that she's the one who ought to feel guilty, about taking you all on this mad ride. And ter' think this morning I was wondering about cereal and finding my hat, instead of trying to find out my past and what this whole Kids Next Door business is about."

Hoagie put an arm around Abby. Abby didn't need his support, but something about his touch was so comforting that it seemed all her troubles just melted away.

Then, from inside his pocket, Hoagie pulled out a bright pink wrapper. "Brain Twisty candy?"

Abby pocketed the sweet. "How did you know I liked candy?"

Hoagie smiled at Abigail, an awkward smile trained to hide the years of teasing. "I-I guess no one can resist candy. Don't eat it now, it'll make you see funny colours and wave your hands around like 'Dude, cool man!"

Abby looked away from him, still consumed by her thoughts. Seeing this, Hoagie pulled Abby tighter. Leaning in just a little, he whispered, "Aw, it's fine. You'll be fine, girl."

A pause.

Then Hoagie said, a bit loudly, "Plus, I suppose you could call it a 'madcap' journey, right? Get it? Because you were looking for your cap, and there's been a ton of crazy stuff happening?"

That did it. Abby groaned and rolled her eyes, as Hoagie broke off his embrace and giggled at his own joke. She answered, "Aww, come _on!_ Even now, you are still not funny, Numbuh Two."

Hoagie's face fell. "What? I thought that was the best one yet."

"It _was_ the best one yet, Hoagie. Only thing is, when it comes ter' you, that ain't saying much."

Now it was Abby's turn to laugh at Hoagie's mortified face.

Hoagie looked genuinely upset. "Hey! You take what you said about my puns back! That sort of stuff's not punny, you know."

For a second, Abby felt a bit sorry for Hoagie, until she realised exactly what it was that he had just said.

"HA HA! Get it?" Hoagie slapped his knee, rocking with laughter.

Abby slapped her face with her palm. "Again, Numbuh Five's got no idea how she ever lasted five minutes with all you guys as teammates. Must have driven my younger self nuts." With a smile, she looked at Hoagie again. "Guess some things never change, huh?"

Hoagie wasn't listening anymore. He had just spotted the bulge in Abby's back pocket.

Tapping it, he made Abby involuntarily flinch to protect her pocket. "What's this?"

Abby fished out the Walkman from her pocket. "Old cassette player Numbuh Five found in someone's room. Still works, and man does this guy have some fire tunes!" Abby's face broke into a relaxed grin as she held out one side of a earphone. "You wanna listen?"

Hoagie took the earphone. "Sure, I'll give it a spin. What tapes does this guy have-Whoa, this is pretty good! I love the guitar in this one!"

Abby had already plugged in, sitting on the floor. "Yeah. I think it's this British band that only ever had one hit Stateside. Now what-"

Suddenly she stopped short, and Hoagie froze too.

Simultaneously, they looked at each other.

Hoagie was the first to break the deadlock. In a deadened voice, he intoned, "Rewind. Repeat."

Abby hit the rewind button, to about the point where they had both heard the voice. As she hit play again, she was certain that she wasn't hearing things.

A boy's voice came through, faintly but clearly, in the break between songs. "...this is Nigel Uno speaking. If you are hearing this, it means I have gone somewhere that I might not come back from. For the record, the right notes are EFEGCC. Repeat: Echo, Foxtrot..."

Abby hit the 'stop' button. Both of them looked at each other again, the peace of the evening skies shattered. Both knew exactly who that voice was.

Instantly, the same thought crossed both their minds.

 _Move!_


	8. Chapter 8

"Here's a thought." Keith voiced out, in the cramped corridors that he and Maurice kept stumbling over; for the majority of their length, the lights were not working properly. "How are we gonna fight them anyway, if we find out that they're coming for us? The ink cannon worked last time, but if we're gonna fight off half the KND standing army we'll need more equipment."

"We're not." Maurice signalled for Keith to take a right turn. Single file, they passed through the corner, and the corridor dead-ended at a red door with the words COMMS stenciled on the entrance. Maurice swung it open. "The best case situation is that we get away from this place before they get here. It's why we need to know what they're planning. We need to always be one step ahead."

The room beyond them was dark. Keith reached past Maurice and groped along the wall, brushing off the dust that had accumulated on the wooden surface. Eventually, he found the light-switch, and flicked it to reveal the communications room. _Phew. Even after three years of service it's still hard. Who even designs this place?_

On the opposite side, a sweeping dashboard filled the wall partway up, stopped in its advance by a wraparound window that showed the night sky outside. Keith walked to the circular monitor in the middle of the dash, his shoes kicking up the kind of dust he'd expect it to gather. Well-practised, his fingers reached off to the right, flicking the screen on. The monitor flashed into activity as Maurice looked at the display over Keith's shoulder.

"Well?"

Something strange had turned up on the monitor. "That's weird, I don't remember having to do this..."

Before Keith and Maurice, the monitor flashed one word only: PASSWORD?

* * *

Abby and Hoagie paced back down the treehouse corridors urgently, Abby trying to keep pace with Hoagie, who moved in and out of the complicated turns with effortless fluidity. "How are you doing that?" she asked.

"I don't know!" he hollered back. "It's like I designed this place or something, because all the places and the turns seem familiar. I just ask myself where I'd put a turn or a bend, and there it is!" Hoagie stopped as the corridor opened into a staircase landing. As Abby caught up with him, he looked at the two different paths. _Up, or down?_

Abby was looking at Hoagie with one eyebrow raised. "Almost 'like you designed this place', huh? We're going up this time, 'cause Numbuh Five's already been downstairs, and there ain't nuthin' there but thousands of hamsters on wheels."

Hoagie nodded. The two of them climbed the staircase. As their feet found a rhythm, Hoagie said, "You know Nigel too?"

Abby choked on her laugh. "Know him? Numbuh Five helped him get through first grade! Sure, he found you first, but when you weren't around, he'd come to me. So clearly he knows about this place as well, otherwise his stuff wouldn't be here! Now why'd you reckon Numbuh Five's not surprised about that one bit?"

"I don't know. Nigel was always a bit weird. Even with us nerds he stood out like a sore thumb."

Abby stopped suddenly, freezing to a stop with one foot on the next step as she realised just why Nigel had stood out. "He was always talking, telling us...about how adults were out to get him."

Hoagie nodded, pulling up beside her. "Exactly. This whole mystery makes more sense now."

Encouraged, Abby started off the steps again. Suddenly, the staircase took a sharp right turn, and ended abruptly at a sliding door with a crude red '1' painted on the door. An electronic keypad blinked regularly on the right again.

Abby stared at the door grimly. "So this is Numbuh 1. Well, the crew's complete, just like Maurice said. Numbuh Five's a useless old leader, Numbuh Four's a wannabe boxer, Numbuh Three's probably gonna fight zombie bunnies off with care and love, and Numbuh Two's gonna do it by telling them one of his pickup lines!"

"Hey!" Hoagie shouted indignantly from behind, but Abby didn't care. Curiously, she approached the pad. Four spaces. Four numbers. _Probably one shot at it, if Nigel had been acting anything like how she'd remembered in school._

 _What could it be?_

As Abby's fingers traced the numbers on the keys, she suddenly knew.

In as casual a voice as possible, she asked, "Say, Hoagie, when's your birthday again?"

"Err...December 19? Why-?"

Abby punched the four numbers in. 1-9-1-2. Quietly the system beeped, indicating it had recognised the entry. Now it was checking the code. _One moment please..._

Abby turned around and looked straight at Hoagie's bewildered face. "Hoagie, he's your oldest friend. In fact, at first you were the only friend he ever had. Through the years, every once in a while, he'd forget everyone's important dates - heck, once he forgot I'd planned something for him - but he'd _never_ forget you. Oh, and he's British, so they write the date the other way round."

As if on cue, the wooden doors slid open behind Abby, and the lights came on to show a bedroom. "Let's go!"

Cautiously, Hoagie and Abby walked into the room as the doors swung shut behind them. It looked pristine, like its occupant had simply left one day and never came back. The double bed was dusty, and around the room were a series of filing cabinets with 'KND' stenciled on them. "We're here." Abby spoke.

"What are we looking for now?" Hoagie said.

As Abby pulled the first drawer open, she responded, "Don't know yet, but it could take a while. You go look round and see if there's anything else we ougta know about."

Hoagie looked around the room. Besides the filing cabinets, the floor was filled with toys, loosely tidied around the bed and off to the sides. An old, cracked gramophone in the corner, together with a plastic musical keyboard. A magnetic dartboard and some pictures. Toy trucks, Lego sets, model airplanes all sat motionless and sterile in their places, like old magic for old memories. The clue could be hidden anywhere in the room. "What's the papers say?"

Looking up from the drawer, Abby responded, "They're a bunch of nonsense to Numbuh Five, cause she don't get _anything_ these papers say!" She brandished a piece of typed paper, with a meaningless jumble of letters and numbers, and threw a stack over to Hoagie. "It's written in a secret code or somethin'!"

Hoagie picked up a sheet and pondered the words on it. "Nothing like I've ever seen before. What exactly did Nigel say? Something about a key?"

Abby put down the sheet of paper, and got the Walkman out again. Hoagie crept over the toys to listen in. Abby skipped past the first four tracks, to around the right point. Again, that faint voice came over the speakers. " _For the record, the right notes are EFEGCC. Repeat: Echo, Foxtrot..."_

"For the record..." Abby trailed off, as her fingers traced the lines of smoothly printed code on the paper. Looking around the room, it took barely five seconds before her eyes registered the object she was looking for.

Instantly it clicked.

"The record player!" She was so excited she almost dropped the Walkman. Hoagie looked at her in surprised, but she was already halfway across the room. "It's hidden on a bunch of old vinyls!"

"I don't believe it." But Hoagie was nodding in understanding as he joined Abby in the corner with the musical instruments. "I've been outsmarted by you two."

Abby smiled. "Ooh, Numbuh Five hopes this 'gon be a usual thing from now on!" Reaching the record player, she picked up the keyboard. There was an extension cord that snaked out behind the keys. She picked it up and plugged it into the back of the gramophone.

Hoagie looked stunned. Weakly, he spoke. "Gramophones don't have power chords. They're wind-up devices."

Abby nodded hard. "That's right. But that right there ain't no power cord." Her fingers moved on the keyboard keys. _E-F-E..._

Hoagie adjusted the horn slightly, for better output.

 _...C._ Abby stepped back, showing that she was done. Hoagie wound the gramophone. And as the record spun, an odd, tinkling nursery rhyme played - a Jack-in-the-box tune -

Then suddenly the music stopped. And that same faint voice came through the gramophone horn, crackly on the record, but clear and unambiguous.

"If you guys are listening to this, I want to be the first one to say congratulations. You've successfully passed the first stage of selection."

Hoagie and Abby looked at each other. _Selection?_

"But don't let your guard down. There are many stories of operatives who have gotten all the way and failed at the final hurdle. If you are to pass all the stages, you must show all the qualities that made you exceptional KND operatives. Courage and cool, friendship and teamwork, intelligence, and a healthy helping of leadership. And above all, you must show that you have won admittance into this highly secret organization, by being willing to give selflessly for a cause."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "This cause being them Kids Next Door?"

Hoagie waved his hand hurriedly. "Shh! This is the best part!"

The voice continued. "I was the one who nominated you guys to take the challenge. If you're hearing this, you're probably already past the age of thirteen. But there's a top secret branch of the Kids Next Door that allows some operatives to continue after you're thirteen."

Abby's eyes widened like saucers.

"Right now, all of you are playing for entry into this branch. The first challenge was to find each other and get here - not an easy job with just scraps of memories, but at least you guys succeeded. I don't know if I'll be around to help you guys with the other challenges, but at least through this message I can help a little. So, remember. Set the standards for everyone else to follow. Show all the qualities that make the Kids Next Door the greatest show on the planet. Good luck!"

The message crackled to a stop.

Abby was the first one to speak. Her eyes shone. "Wow!" It seemed like her heart was racing, pounding away at a million miles per hour. "I can't believe this!"

"Me neither." Hoagie sat on the bed, his head resting on his arm. He just shook his head several times. Silently, he whispered, "Wonder what's the next challenge."

Abby jumped on the bed next to him. In a rather shaky voice, she asked, "Ya think? Reckon we should keep looking or somethin' ?"

Hoagie shrugged. "I don't see any other clues in the recording, but unless you've got any other helpful plans for the night I don't see why we shouldn't look."

But still they sat on the bed.

And, at length-

"Nah." Abby kicked back on the double bed. "Numbuh Five's gotta let all this sink in first. This whole organisation is crazy, man. But it just might be crazy enough to work."

"Agreed." Hoagie joined her on the other side of the bed.

And so it was decided that they would look again in the morning, for they were still youngsters after all, and the little kid inside them both was exhausted after the strange events of their day and needed some nap time.

* * *

Keith pondered over the computer screen that stubbornly lay stuck on PASSWORD? He got up and paced again. It helped him think. It helped him decide. What should he do?

Maurice had flipped his phone open again. "Scan ten-mile radius for any approaching mechas or aircraft." The cell phone beeped. "No threats detected", it responded. Maurice pocketed the phone again.

Keith walked back over, and sat back down at the terminal. He sighed heavily. "I actually know the password, but the reason why's not going to be one you'll like, Maurice."

 _"_ Huh?"

Keith's fingers typed in a ten-character alphanumeric code. Miraculously, the PASSWORD disappeared, and the new text read ACCESS GRANTED on the terminal. The next display was of a blinking, green cursor in the top corner, waiting for instructions.

"How'd you do that?" Maurice asked in wonderment. But Keith shook his head miserably.

"I-I got it from one of your friends. That girl you helped to join the Kids Next Door in my class, back in first grade. She hacked into the mainframe, using one of Chad's old techniques and stole the security codes. But then she was found out, and her memories were wiped."

"Oh my God." Maurice said, with growing concern, holding his hands to his head. "Surely you don't mean-"

"Yes." Keith nodded silently. Choking, he continued, "She didn't have to be decommissioned, you know. They promised her that she'd be released if she just told them who she had passed the codes on to. All those months in Arctic Prison and not one scrap of candy. Anyone would've broken under the strain. But she never said my name, even though it would've freed her and put me there. She'd rather go on her feet than stay on her knees."

Maurice walked over to the console, ignoring Keith's question, suddenly realising something critical. In an emotionless voice, he spoke as his hands gripped the edge of the console. "Cut the chatter. You got her into this whole business. You showed her how to hack the system. Is that right?"

There was only silence.

Behind them, the mainframe blinked happily away.

* * *

"Numbuh Eighty-Six, we've got a hit!" A voice went up among those who had been monitoring the many computers through the night on a diet of root beer and sugar. Many more kids lay crashed out on the floor, asleep under their blankets. "Thirty miles south, about where we picked you up!"

Numbuh Eighty-Six rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Throwing her blanket aside, she yelled at the operative as she scrambled to her feet. "Let me see!"

In the event, there was nothing much on the screen, just a flashing dot on the radar. It had been caused by someone activating a treehouse computer system. When such a system was switched on, it instantly sent out feelers - radio waves, electrical pulses and so on - everywhere. No flash of electromagnetic activity that strong could go unnoticed. It had to be them, as there were no other other treehouses that didn't have it switched on all the time. _So they're hiding in their treehouse. Well, old habits die hard, I suppose._

"We'll attack them at dawn! Round up your troops and prepare them for action tomorrow morning!"

As the KND agents at the local command center started moving slowly, Numbuh Eighty-Six laid her head back. Now that she had found the teenagers, she'd be able to take a bit of a break. No doubt she'd be up at dawn tomorrow to lead the charge. No doubt...

* * *

For an instant Keith was sure Maurice was about to hit him. As Maurice loosened his grip on the table, Keith instinctively jerked his arms up to protect himself.

But Maurice didn't so much as touch him. Instead, he took a seat next to Keith.

Keith relaxed, but not very much. Maurice began talking again.

"Jeez, Keith. Why did you even get her involved in this kind of stuff? You knew it was dangerous, and still - and _still -_ you not only showed her how to hack the system, you asked her to get you the top secret security clearance codes!"

"I didn't ask her!" Keith threw up his hands. "She wanted to know if there was anything she could do to counteract the frankly insane orders from Moon Base. It's not Abby's fault that she delegated too many jobs to people she don't know; you know as well as I do that Abby has leadership issues-"

"That's not what I asked you." Maurice said, gritting his teeth. "I said, why did you teach her when you knew it was dangerous in the extreme?"

"What else was I supposed to do?"

Maurice sighed heavily and leant back in his chair. Quietly, he asked, "Do you know the origins of our name?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" But Maurice plowed on:

"Once, long before the first age of the Kids Next Door, there were bullies that roamed the land, and picked on the smallest kids that there were around the block. This thing's always happened. To me, it'd always happen, but that don't make it any more right or wrong. But anyway, one day, the founder of the Kids Next Door - his name is lost in time now - realised that this was happening to his best friend. So he dropped everything, trying to get to the scene fast. But he never got there in time."

Keith put his hand over his mouth.

"We don't know what happened to the kid, but it stuck, whatever the bullies did to him, and he was never the same afterwards. The kid eventually had to leave the area, because he was so marked by the incident he could not function at all afterwards. So in his memory, our founders started this organisation, dedicated to defending kids everywhere from their bullies. And he made sure that wherever the emergency was, they would always be there to help - that they would always be the _kids next door_."

Maurice barely skipped a beat as he continued. "That has been our basic principle for ages. Whatever happens, and however bad things get - _you stick with your friends._ It's true that Moon Base aren't doing a very good job of it at the moment. But Keith, you didn't stick with Lisa either, did you? You showed her the methods of codebreaking without the manual on how to use it. But when she was caught, she stuck by you, and that's why you're still an active member. Even the Kids Next Door have responsibilities to each other."

Keith slumped back into his chair, absent-mindedly scanning the blinking cursor on the screen. In that instant, he wished that Maurice had punched him after all. It would've hurt less.

Finally, he said, "Why are you telling me this?"

Maurice said, "Because it's a mistake almost everyone's made at least once. This includes myself. It includes Abby. That's why she's so afraid of leadership, because when she was leader and decided to leave Numbuh One to the Delightful Children, they made him bald. Leadership means decisions. Leadership means choice. Abby'd rather not have any choice in the matter because making the decision to leave things behind - gadgets, ideas, people - have consequences. Sometimes, as leader, you've got to realise what kind of impact your decisions have, and to make the right choices. Abby's got to learn how to do that all over again. So do you."

Keith forced his eyes shut, pressing his fingers into the eyes.

Silently, he turned to the computer screen and began inputting the commands to search for the locations of their enemies.

* * *

From not very far down the lane, the Delightful Children stirred as one. Their digital clock was flashing red again. They all knew what the red flash meant.

As one, they spoke, quietly so that Father would not hear in the dead of night, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Kids Next Door back again..."

Nevertheless, they had to wait till dawn, for they were _good_ kids, and _good_ kids did not stay up past their bedtime hours, or steal the Really Really Incredibly Destructive Machine to wreck their mortal enemies. But soon...


	9. Chapter 9

When the first rays of the morning sun got through to Wally's eyes, he realised that Kuki Sanban was lying on the floor. _Strange,_ he thought. Already he could scarcely believe what had happened last night. He didn't remember how come she ended up sleeping on the floor.

Carefully, he tiptoed over her. Carefully, so that she would not wake up, he lifted her and set her back on the couch, where she continued to snooze gently.

"There."

He looked around; no-one else had seen it. Kuki would wake up later without knowing how she ended up on the couch.

Slowly, Wally walked over to the window. Where the living room was dark last night, now faint sunlight streamed through the open window, allowing him to pick his way across the floor. He peeked out, looking to get the first view from this treehouse. The sheer size of the thing blew his mind. He still couldn't believe that it existed, let alone that this treehouse had been built entirely by kids.

And then, as he was looking in the distance, he saw it. The points of black in the sky that could only mean one thing.

"Aw, crud! They're on to us!"

"Who's on to us?"

Wally had spoken loudly enough to awaken Kuki from her light doze.

 _Oops._

But sleep was beside the point now; there was no time to waste. Jumping across the room, he pulled the still-half asleep Kuki to a standing position. "That weird red-hair girl and her friends! We've gotta get out of here!"

Kuki rubbed her eyes. "You lead then - where're we going?"

"We'll warn the others!" Quickly, the two scampered across to the door. Pushing Kuki through it first, Wally then slammed the door shut, hoping that it would delay their pursuers for even a little time.

And then the alarm rang.

* * *

Abby and Hoagie jumped out of bed at the sound of the alarm going off.

Hoagie had gotten up too fast, and now his world was spinning. Instinctively, he grasped the frame of the bed, and the world righted itself. "What's going on?"

Abby was fully awake. "It must be some sort of a mission! Let's go round up the rest."

Hoagie put out his arm. "Wait, wait, we don't even know where they all are, or how to get there in the first place!"

 _True._ Abby stopped and put her jaw in her hand. "Didn't you say you designed this place or something?"

Hoagie replied, "I didn't say I designed it. I said it _felt_ like I had designed it - big difference."

Abby nodded anyway. "Well, it's better than nuthin'. We've gotta try."

"But-"

"We're not leaving anyone behind! Numbuh Five says we're gonna get everybody, and the first step of getting everybody starts with moving our butts right now!"

For a moment, Hoagie looked on the verge of arguing some more, but then his face solidified, and he nodded resolutely.

But as Abby opened the door, Hoagie was struck by an idea. He suddenly darted back in.

"Hoagie, what are you doing?" Abby was holding the door open. "Let's go!"

Hoagie was rummaging through Nigel's toys. At length he re-emerged from the pile.

"Gotcha!" Hoagie was holding a ball of string. "Don't know why Nigel has so much string, but we'll take it and make sure we don't double back like this. Just unravel the ball as we go along. For some reason this seems longer than usual - maybe it's KND grade equipment?"

"That's genius!" Abby turned round and hugged Hoagie, who looked slightly embarrassed and very awkward as he returned the embrace. Through the arms, he replied sheepishly, "Wasn't my idea, I got beaten to it by like twenty-six hundred years."

"Ah, whatever, you're still brilliant." Abby closed the door behind the both of them. "Now all we got ter' do is find the others! For a start, Numbuhs 3 and 4 should be around the living room area, but we gotta move fast, 'cause the alarm's gone off. They're probably on the move too."

Abby and Hoagie broke into a run, Hoagie trailing the ball behind him.

* * *

"Dang it!" Maurice kicked the console furiously, the early morning sun coming through the wide wraparound windows. At the computer screen, Keith was feverishly typing in commands. "How did the computer miss them by a full half-hour?

"Don't know! I've set the alarm off though, so that everyone else will know and be prepared." As Keith hit a return key, the lines of code on the screen disappeared to show them a radar screen; Keith counted at least ten blips on the screen, and possibly more on the way.

Maurice peered over his shoulder, looking at the returns. After a few seconds, his shoulders slumped. "It's hopeless. We've got to make a break for it, cause there's no way we'll be able to fight them off at this rate with the tools we have. I'll round up the others; you set the treehouse defense systems for maximum 'ouch'. Where's the ink cannon?"

Keith patted his pockets. "Right here-"

To his horror his pocket was flat; the ink cannon pen was gone.

"It's gone, isn't it," Maurice said flatly.

Keith nodded, and Maurice sighed.

"Never mind that then. Meet up at that tyre pit thing again, OK?"

"Yes, sir!" Keith moved over to another screen and started setting up the defense systems. "I'll make sure I get us the maximum time for retreat."

"In a while, crocodile." Maurice vanished down the treehouse corridors.

* * *

Numbuh Eighty-Six's craft bore down upon the familiar treehouse, off to her right. She had been there a long time ago, to decommission this exact same team, plus Numbuh One. That time, it had turned out to be a setup, a con; this time it was real.

"How much longer?" She yelled over to her pilot, who was peering out of the flying house window. The treehouse still seemed a fair way away.

With perfect, crisp efficiency, he answered, "Estimated time of arrival ten minutes, ma'am!"

Numbuh Eighty-Six nodded approvingly. "Good progress, troops. Keep at it."

Suddenly, off to her left another voice called out, stuttering in fear as it spoke. "N-Numbuh Eighty-Six, ma'am - you wanna check this out like right now!"

Turning furiously, she snapped, "Don't assume what I want! What is it-"

But then as Numbuh Eighty-Six saw the live feed of her officer she froze in panic.

A really, really destructive machine faced her troops down, filling the entire screen. She had only seen the spidery device once, but she knew enough about the occupants alright. A quick glance away from the screen and through the front house window confirmed the worst.

Dead ahead, the Delightful Children were headed directly for her troops.

As the huge, many-legged machine crushed cars underfoot like they were cookie crumbs, her officer adjusted the feed, and soon the long-distance camera was focused on the bubble cockpit of the device.

"Hello, Kids Next Door." Five uniform voices turned to face the KND army, staring directly at the camera and broadcasting loud enough to be heard across the battlefield. "Or should we say...Kids No More?"

One of the legs of the machine reared up, a laser cannon underfoot, the barrel pointing straight at Numbuh Eighty-Six's ship, charging, waiting to fire.

Numbuh Eighty-Six screamed into her microphone, "All units fire on the Delightful Children! Kids Next Door, BATTLE STATIONS!"

The gun fired.

* * *

Wally and Kuki had barely started climbing the stairs when the whole treehouse shook.

Thrown sideways off the step, Wally picked himself up again, feeling his leg that had hit the wall. "What was that?"

Kuki had stayed on her feet. Solemnly, she declared, "I think it's started. They've started firing on the treehouse."

More blasts in the distance. The whir of distant engines cut through the treehouse alarms and mixed with the wailing sound until the noise was indistinguishable and unbearable. With a tremendous effort, Wally jumped to the next step, grabbing Kuki's hand along with him. "Let's GO!"

Just around the corner, they ran into two figures. "What the-"

Wally jumped into action, every muscle straining before he realized he didn't really know what to do.

"Freeze! Don't come any closer, or I'll do something - grr?"

But Abby held up her arms. "Chill, we're friendly!"

Wally sighed as his whole body relaxed. No fighting yet, then. "Abby! Phew - that was close! Let's go."

Hoagie went over and checked on the two of them. "You guys OK? You looked a little messed up."

"Yeah, we just got knocked sideways by that blast just now. Where are you guys headed? And why are you carrying a piece of string?"

Hoagie waved his hands dismissively. "Long story. Have you seen Keith or Maurice?"

Wally kept playing with his orange sweater "Don't know where they are. I haven't seen them since last night, 's a matter of fact. What now?"

Abby took charge. Shouting over the deafening alarm, she said, "Right now, we need a new plan, since rounding all of up's probably not gonna work now that the battle's started. If we can, we'll need our guns back. I don't know where the guns here are kept, but if any of you have seen it...?" She trailed off hopefully.

All three of the others shook their heads. Kuki started playing with her green sweater by way of response.

"Never mind then. We'll probably find it in any central meeting area. Stick together, find the guns, and if we can pick up Keith and Maurice along the way we'll do it, then we bust out of this joint."

Suddenly the alarm stopped howling.

All four of them looked up, surprised and frozen to the spot. Wally raised his fists again, looking around anxiously. "What the crud happened?"

Then a new, computerised voice filled the air. "Defense systems activated."

The treehouse fell silent.

In the sudden quiet, everything sounded a lot louder. The team could clearly hear the sounds of a major battle going on outside. From here on, things would be moving a lot quicker.

Hoagie spoke next. "Well, that should buy us a little more time. Let's go look for the guns."

The others nodded, and together the four scampered back up the stairs.

* * *

The job done, Keith bounded off his chair and set off down the mazy corridors of the sector V treehouse.

As his feet pounded on the floors, he realised that he was the one who probably had the greatest advantage in this treehouse. Maurice hadn't been here in about three years, and the other four had their memories erased. That left him as master navigator and explorer of this place. Easily, he found the pathway to the meeting room when an idea struck him.

 _Of course!_ He flipped out his smartphone and touched the KND app on the screen. _This'll tell me where the others are!_

But as he stared at the next screen he knew something was wrong.

The screen remained blank, showing nothing but a vague outline of the treehouse. _They've jammed all the transmissions going in and out of this place!_ His phone could not communicate with anything in the outside world.

Cursing, he shoved it back in his pocket, and his feet broke into a run as he rushed towards the meeting room.

* * *

Carefully, Abby looked around the first corner: no-one there. The general strategy had been for them to go down, since that was where they had first started up when they got to the treehouse last night. Then, they could work their way around from there.

Abby signaled for the rest of the team to come forward: all clear. Quietly Hoagie, Kuki and Wally shuffled forward. The next corridor was equally as empty. Only one more lane before they were back at the point they started.

And then around the next corner they ran Maurice over, sending his armload of rifles clattering to the floor.

Maurice didn't register who had knocked him over before he looked up. "Watch where you're going! Oh - it's just you guys. Phew. For a minute I thought I was in trouble."

Abby helped him to his feet. "Where you're going? And where's Keith?"

Maurice handed out the rifles, one for every operative. "We're going back to the meeting room. Keith should be on his way there. Right, now I know you guys only've ever had one shot at using these weapons, but it'll have to do - we're out of time here. Let's go through this door-"

As Maurice opened the door to the meeting room, the five saw that Keith was kicking back in the tyre pit, just killing time. "Hey, guys! What took you so long?"

Abby was about to walk over, but then suddenly, off to the right, she saw something else.

"Keith! Look out!"

Keith turned around. "What?"

Then a fully sized flying house smashed through the side of the meeting room.

* * *

Numbuh Eighty-Six looked around at her troops as the battle flashed and crashed all around her ship. Her numbers were going down rapidly; she was going to need support. "Numbuh 99! Situation report!"

Numbuh Ninety-Nine barely looked up from her screen, focused on targeting the Delightful Children. "We count at least six ships down, ma'am, and the Delightfuls are going to reach the treehouse before we do, ma'am!"

Numbuh Eighty-Six keyed her microphone for home base, at least ten miles away. "Mission Control, We need reinforcements near the Sector V treehouse ASA-now! We won't be able to hold on otherwise. Do you copy?"

A cool voice responded. "Roger that, we copy and are on the way. Hang tight. Mission Control out." Click.

"Right." Numbuh Eighty-Six rekeyed the microphone, and suddenly realised something.

 _Why was the treehouse smoking?_

One of her ships must have crashed into the treehouse, smashing a hole in the side. She had been so focused on surviving the Delightful Children that she had completely forgotten about her original aim. But the smoking wreck stuck in the treehouse reminded her why she was originally there, and spurred her into action.

 _They can't get away! Not even when I've got the Delightful Children to handle!_

Carefully, she weighed the options. Perhaps it would really be better to take the campaign to ground level and sabotage both targets from below. Judging from how the battle was going, in the air her troops stood no chance against the powerful lasers. On the ground, however, her team would be able to attack the Delightful Children's machine if they could get close enough to deploy mustard and string-based weapons. _It could work..._

As her house swayed and lurched wildly, dancing around the laser shots the Delightful Children were aiming at her, she made up her mind.

"Troops, maintain aerial cover!" Keying her microphone again for mission control, she shouted into it, "Mission control, prepare troops for ground offensive too!"

"Roger that!"

* * *

Keith dived for cover as laser fire broke out all over him.

But the short burst of green light was over almost before it even started.

Peeking out a little, he could see his friends had successfully stunned three dazed KND agents, who simply did not have enough time to react to the shock of their craft crashing. Quickly, Hoagie, Wally, Kuki, Abby and Maurice spread out through the room, checking on their victims and peering cautiously inside the crashed and smoking craft.

Finally, Abby waved her hands by way of speech: all clear. Letting out a breath, Keith climbed out from his hiding position and went over to his friends. He looked decidedly less relaxed as he jabbed his finger impatiently at the wreck of the house. "How did this one get through the defense systems?"

All five of the others shrugged. Keith slapped his forehead. "I don't know who was in charge of maintaining the defense systems when we left, but they did such a cruddy job I'm sure it won't help us much." Moving towards the exit, Keith said, "Right, let's get out of here."

"Wait." Maurice held up one arm, blocking Keith's progress. "Not all of us need to go to the same place. Guys," he said, pointing at the remaining members of Sector V, "you'll need to get out of here. If you do - go to Gallagher Elementary school. You'll know what to do from there. Keith, we're going somewhere different. We'll move together inside the treehouse, and then we'll split up outside."

Through the shattered window, Maurice stole one glance at the battle raging around the treehouse. Reinforcements were coming for the Kids Next Door; the battle was heating up, but the Delightful Children were still fighting. He continued. "Right now, the fastest way down is through the main stem, but there might already be kids storming the bottom part. We'll need to fight our way out. So if you guys would be kind enough to follow me, I'll be glad to show you the nearest exit."

Checking the doors, the six of them moved quietly back out through the corridors, this time seeking the exit door rather than anyone else.

Now the treehouse was too quiet. The sound of their own footsteps were only broken, once in a while, by the deep _boom_ of aircraft being destroyed outside. Quickly, the group moved through the now silent corridors as the battle continued to rage outside.

Presently, they came to the main staircase. Maurice looked up and down the stairwell. He nodded, motioning for the others to go down.

But just as they started to move, Hoagie spoke up.

"Guys, I-I don't think this is right. We oughta' check this surrounding area out, or we might miss something."

Wally looked at him sternly. "What the crud are you sayin'? We ain't got no time to lose here!"

Hoagie shrugged, "I don't know. I'm just saying, if this is the main staircase, there's probably a ton of other stuff around this. If I were designing a building, this'd be the core - running right through the stem, so there's bound to be other things around it. Emergency exits, escape pods, soda machines-"

Wally still didn't look convinced. "What kind of talk is that?"

Hoagie sighed. "It's called _thinking,_ Numbuh 4. You should try it once in a while. Just check it out, it won't take long!"

Before Wally could respond, Maurice stepped quickly in between the two of them. Looking directly and simply at Hoagie, he asked, "Are you sure?"

Hoagie nodded.

Maurice said, "Let's go."

And that was that. The group bypassed the staircase, walking around it to look behind. Sure enough, there were the fire alarms, the soda machines and even a popcorn deposit bank. Kuki had to be stopped by Wally from sneaking a bite.

And then, off to their right, hidden in a small corner, two steel doors caught Wally's eye.

"Over there!"

Everyone else looked up. With its transparent, flashing plastic panel to the side, the shape and design of the object was unmistakeable. An elevator.

The way out.

Wally looked at Hoagie with a new, curious interest. Standing still, he rubbed his eyes as if to confirm the elevator was still there, that he wasn't seeing things. "How-how did you know that was there?"

Hoagie shrugged modestly as he walked over to the panel. "Oh, just deductive reasoning." Pressing the 'down' button, he signaled for the others to come over. "Come on, what are you guys waiting for?"

Quickly, the others piled into the elevator as the doors opened, Maurice and Abby the last to fit into the box as the doors closed. Hoagie, who was the closest to the buttons, pressed the 'G' button. The elevator descended jerkily.

Suddenly sound filled the air. The group tensed again, but the tension was broken as they quickly realised what the jangly, poppy sounds were. Elevator music?

 _Baby, you light up my world like nobody else..._

Abby rolled her eyes at Hoagie. "Really?"

Hoagie could only offer a weak smile in response. "Hey, I said I could've designed the place, not chosen the songs for it."

Kuki scratched her head as the music continued. "I don't know, but I think they're really catchy." As if commenting on the weather, she tossed her hair back slightly, pronouncing her opinion. "Actually, I like it!"

But Wally disagreed soundly. "For crud's sake, you can't really like this stuff, Kuki! It's not even proper music!", he said as he sent his fist into the side of the elevator. The punch cracked the panels, but otherwise it did little damage.

Before the argument could go any further, the group's musical misery was cut short by the _ding_ of the elevator doors sliding open. As one, the group braced themselves, weapons all pointed at the steel doors, but as they slid open, there was no incoming fire.

Instead, before them was an empty lobby, about the same size as a typical living room, but devoid of any furniture. A small window cut into the tree on the right cast a pane of light on the wooden floor.

And that was it. No side corridors. No other way to go.

Abby was first out, her rifle sneaking first left, then right, covering the darkened corners of the room. In short order, she nodded and gave the all clear for her team to file out.

The rest of the team swept their laser rifles back and forth across the empty lobby. It was unnecessary, for there were clearly no opponents in sight anywhere, but they were beginning to do it out of routine anyway. Straight ahead, the team were confronted by a small door. Was it the exit, or merely a means to an end?

Quickly, the team covered the twenty paces to the small door. It looked like only one person could pass through it at a time. Abby, off to one side of the door, nodded to Hoagie, who was on the other side. Slowly, Hoagie turned the latch, and pushed the door open. There was nothing but darkness beyond, a contrast from the pale, diffuse light of the lobby.

Abby jumped through the doorway, but suddenly realised there was a second door immediately ahead. She fell right through that one, revealing-

"A bedroom?"

Quickly, the rest stumbled through what they now knew was a small wardrobe, and came face-to-face with a pristinely-maintained room. A Union Jack was painted on the bed before them. Here the sun was shining through all right, with the rest of the bedroom being illuminated cleanly by the golden light.

Abby walked over to the bed. The blanket had acquired a coat of dust, but it had been folded neatly. For all she knew, it might have been lying there for years, just waiting for its owner to return one day. The rest of the group paced around the room curiously, touching the other equally dusty artifacts. Notes to friends here and there. A small drawing pinned up next to the bed with the underlined title 'K.N.D. - Mission?' scrawled untidily over the top. The random, disjointed work of a kid, surely.

The whole experience was quite unreal. Moving quickly through completely different places had really thrown the kids' sense of reality off.

"Where is this place?" Kuki said.

Before anyone could answer, the door burst open.

On instinct, all six members pointed their rifles at the door, ready to fire, but through it came a rather big old man in a red checked shirt and suspenders.

Abby dropped the rifle. "Huh?

The old man smiled harmlessly at the six kids assembled in his son's room. "I say, what's all this noise about?"


	10. Chapter 10

Before anyone else could answer the man, Maurice stepped forward. "Sorry, old bean, we're just passing through, so if you don't mind, we'll be leaving like, _right now_ if you can help us through your front door."

The old man nodded, his smile getting bigger as he turned back around. "Sure thing! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Monty Uno, and I daresay, it's terribly exciting to meet you kids! Why, it's just like when my son Nigel was still around!"

Abby couldn't help herself. "Nigel? What happened to him?"

Monty Uno's face fell. Something had changed inside the happy, careless demeanour, and Abby wished she could take back the question.

But it was too late now.

In a much lower voice, Monty answered, "Oh-he had to leave. Some terribly important work for higher-ups. I don't know how, but somehow it seems like I'll never see him again..."

A single tear rolled down his face, but he quickly wiped it away.

Then the intimacy of the nearly-empty house was broken with a tremendous _bang._ A cloud of dust accumulated at the bottom of the staircase, and green pulses of light flashed through the forcefully-opened front door, cutting through the smoke with ruthless efficiency.

Maurice and Keith exchanged glances. In two seconds, they had conferred with each other wordlessly. It was just as well that they had done it silently: any sound could have given them away.

"New plan." Maurice whispered as he looked around the first floor of the house. From below, they could hear the rough, high sounds of a search party thrashing the floor below. Maurice pointed to an open window, moving towards it. But Abby shook her head violently.

"Are you crazy?" she quietly mouthed back. "What part of yer' body d' ya wanna break first?"

"It'll be fine." Keith reassured Abby as he, too walked over to the window. Turning to Maurice, he asked, "Any chance they'll get us as we land outside?"

"It's safe for now." The window opened into a backyard. Sure enough, there was as yet no-one on the small lawn, or anywhere close to it as far as the two of them could see. While the sounds of the battle raged overhead, right below them the grass remained pristine and untouched.

Maurice measured the drop mentally, calculating the speed of impact. Enough to do him some serious damage if he landed badly, but only if he _did_ land badly. That was good enough. "I'll go first, and catch you guys when you get out."

Slowly, he climbed onto the window ledge. He steadied himself, bracing for impact.

Then suddenly behind him, he could hear voices. "It's not downstairs, we've got to move on up!"

Everyone gathered on the top floor instinctively froze.

The voices were getting closer. "...about time Moon Base issued a decent order, making us chase down these traitors- hey, you! On the top floor! Come out now!"

Abby's mind raced. _How did they know?_ She looked at the staircase top, and could not see any part of the KND army to hit.

"Come on down, and nobody gets hurt!"

When she glanced at the wall, Abby suddenly understood. _Their shadows! It had been printed on the wall of the landing. A dead giveaway._

She flashed a look to Maurice; there was no more time left. It was not a bluff. The KND really knew exactly where they all were. "Let's GO!"

Abby drew her rifle. The others followed her example as the first of the KND army climbed onto the second-floor landing, rifles flaring.

From the edge of his vision, Maurice could see the first bursts of green-blue fire, but he ignored it. He had one job only. Maurice jumped, landing hard on the grass outside. A pain shot though his right leg, but as he slowly put more weight on it, he realised it was OK. He was in place. "Right, jump now!"

Keith appeared at the window-ledge next, and slipped off the edge easily enough. Maurice caught him like one would catch a sack of potatoes, setting him down gently. He handed Keith his rifle. "Guard this place, they'll be on to us fast enough now that they know where we are."

Keith accepted the gift awkwardly, the rifle slightly oversized compared to him. In the backyard, he was able to see the aerial battle above for the first time, a veritable Fourth of July show three months early as craft dodged and shot missiles at each other. A humungous mecha off to the right that he knew belonged to the Delightful Children joined in the light show, firing indiscriminately upon the Kids Next Door craft. _Correction - Distasteful Children. Ugh._

All the others quickly followed Keith through the window frame, Kuki making a real mess of her hair as she landed in Maurice's arms. All but Abby. Maurice looked at the window, expecting her to come through any second.

But the frame stayed vacant.

Panicking, Maurice turned to Hoagie. "Where's Abby?"

"She said she needed to protect Mr. Uno! They're still up there!"

Maurice stared at the window frame again. _She's the crazy one, not me!_

Then Abby's back appeared through the window. The blur of motion as she fell backwards caught Keith's attention, and for a split second his rifle was pointed back at the house, taking his mind off sentry duty.

"Abby!" Maurice caught her, and realised that her hand had been frozen, fused to the rifle she was holding. "Abby, you OK?"

Abby smiled weakly at Maurice. "They got me, but it's not bad - I'll live. Mr. Uno's fine." Carefully, she got off Maurice's arms and waved her now-paralysed right arm around for attention. "Someone help me break the ice? It's cold in there."

All her team-mates crowded around her, hacking away at her hand. But Keith just stood where he was, watching the window, aiming his rifle. Any second now...

A face appeared through the window, freckly and small. Keith fired.

The face fell backwards as the windowpane froze solid from the laser blast, a glowing blue-green seal of ice that prevented further attacks.

The rest of the team had reacted a half-second late, but there were no consequences thanks to Keith's shot. Presently, they shattered the ice covering Abby's arm. The rifle had to be jettisoned as it was frozen, but there did not appear to be any lasting effects to the user.

"Thanks!" Abby said as she shook her arm vigourously, trying to shake off the effects of the cold. "Numbuh Five owes y'all one for that!"

Maurice smiled at Keith, nodding approvingly. "Let's go!"

* * *

From high up in the air, dodging the laser fire of the Delightfuls, Numbuh Eighty-Six scanned the battlefield frantically, walking from window to window. As she got over to the right side, she was relieved to see the buses filling up her right flank. Troops poured out from their insides, setting up their weapons as if preparing for a prolonged siege. _This thing could be like the Alamode all over again. Who the heck got those Delightfuls involved anyway? Numbuh Moron?_

Nevertheless, the reinforcements were here; all she needed to do was provide air cover for them as they moved in. Could she do it?

She glanced round what remained of her squadron. Less than half were still airborne, scattered around her windshield like absurdly-shaped Lego blocks, just hanging there in the clear blue sky. But her heart lifted to see that she still had some support. From experience, she knew it would be enough for a few minutes.

Now she was optimistic. A plan was starting to form in her head. How best to use her troops?

 _What would Rachel do?_

The treehouse grew bigger, starting to fill up the right hand side of the windscreen. The smoking wreck of one of her teams still lay in the small, burnt-out impact crater on the side of the treehouse. The closer she got to the treehouse, and by extension the Delightful Children, the more useless their long-range lasers was going to be against both her and ground support.

She keyed her microphone onto the general frequency. "Ground troops, move in! Squadron D, follow my lead!" Her fists clenched. "Let's give 'em hell."

BAM! The ship rattled and jumped straight into the air as it took a direct hit from the Delightful's laser. Numbuh Eighty-Six was forced to the floor, falling down in a faster manner than she'd like. As the ant-like troops on the field below started moving faster, Numbuh Eighty-Six dusted herself off and climbed to her feet. Rubbing her butt, she walked up to her pilot, staring past him, at the Delightful Children's machine.

The laser cannon fired again, the bolt flying over the top of her ship this time. The next shot would surely smash right through the windshield, turning the cockpit to dust.

But despite the urgency, she hesitated. The plan would mean almost certain doom for members of her squadron. Taking a deep breath, she looked around at her squadron again.

It had to be done.

She tapped her pilot's shoulder, pointing at the Delightful Children's monstrous craft. "Full speed ahead, soldier!"

The pilot looked at her with horror. "Numbuh Eighty-Six, you don't-"

"What did I tell you about telling me what I want and don't want? JUST DO IT!"

The pilot bit his lower lip, and his hands pushed the throttle all the way up. "Alright, we're going- hold on!"

Numbuh Eighty-Six wished she'd followed his advice, because for a second time, she was thrown back to the floor by the sudden acceleration. Landing on her butt again, this second time hurt way more than before, and she snarled in angry frustration as she dragged herself back up to her commander's chair, fighting against the massive thrust the engines provided to the craft. _Butt, meet floor. Oh, you knew each other already? I'll just leave you two to catch up, then._

But again, she suppressed her anger. Experience had made her better at doing that. From her perspective, she could see that whatever was left of her squadron had followed her charge, a dozen or so flying houses hurtling through the air and firing everything they had at the Delightful Children in one last attack.

Dead ahead, the Delightful Children were halted in their progress, their machine getting hit by fire coming at them from all angles, their collective faces even at this distance visibly surprised by the sudden attack. As the details of the machine and its many arms came into closer view, Numbuh Eighty-Six permitted herself a small, vicious smile. Whatever the result of the battle, at least the Kids Next Door had scratched and dented the machine. Father would be most...unsatisfied.

* * *

Keith had taken over point duty from Abby, making it his business to peek round corners and scan the horizon before anyone else so much as moved a muscle. Sticking close to the sidewalk, sprinting from cover to cover, they were a good four houses down the street before he saw any movement.

"Hold on!"

Up ahead, a group of kids were walking past, but strangely, they were not searching the nearby houses for them. The ground troops were moving in a different direction, and as Keith looked up, he understood why.

In the air, the Kids Next Door had rallied for one final charge, aiming to destroy the Delightful Children once and for all. Surprisingly it seemed to be working, as the ground troops were able to get close enough to attack the Delightful Children's massive machine. How they were able to operate it, Keith didn't know, but he assumed that they would know how to anyway, being grown-up in all but name and age. What was important was that they were not the focus of the attack anymore.

The kids passed. Now that the target of the attack had switched, here was their window of opportunity. Yet Keith knew that among other things, Numbuh Eighty-Six might not make it out. It was a charge with all the hallmarks of futility, done only to provide cover for the hordes of kids below.

But as he looked back towards the charge something else caught his eye.

"Look!"

* * *

"Father will be most unsatisfied!" In horror, the Delightful Children examined the sky before them, staring out their bubble cockpit at the dozen or so rapidly growing dots, fully-sized houses that hurtled towards them at unimaginable speeds.

From within the mix of bodies, one finger reached out and hit a red button, next to the small green screen that told them their targets were closing in from all directions. Four mechanical arms shot out before them, aimed at their targets.

The rest would have to be dealt with by old-fashioned laser fire.

Leaning over the dashboard, the Delightful Children groaned as they saw a suitcase-sized hole blasted clean through the bottom of their pod. Another few feet higher and they'd be beaten for good, finished off in a way not even Numbuh One could manage to do three years ago. A good thing they had shot down that craft first, but Father could literally burn them for the damage it had done to the Really Incredibly Destructive Machine. For once, the good kids were in no hurry to get home.

And then their green radar screen flashed red. Inexplicably, _behind_ them, was another craft - one that had swung around in a wide arc from the treehouse, and was now headed straight for them. A warning tone sounded, rising in its intensity and frequency. _Beep-beep-beep-_

"What the-"

The tone extended into one continuous sound, that single, piercing tone that signaled a missile lock.

 _Beeeeep..._

* * *

From the ground, hidden by a garden hedge, Abby and her team-mates watched, transfixed as the aerial battle came to a head.

In the far distance, the solitary camper swerved and zig-zagged, avoiding the lasers and flying arms of the Really Incredibly Destructive Machine. Left, right, left, right again, it appeared to know every single move that the machine would throw at it, and Abby was transfixed by the movement. She stared at the speck, almost as if she needed to remember every move the craft made. _First left, then a small dive..._

Then, Wally startled her back into action. "Well? Let's go, guys! We don't got all day 'round here, y'know?"

A new voice spoke up behind them. "You ain't got much time left here anyways, so come quiet or don't come at all!"

Instantly, all six turned their backs on the aerial action. But Keith was faster. His rifle snapped into position, and two shots caused the KND agents behind them to duck.

That was the cue for all hell to break loose.

Expecting return fire, all six threw themselves to the ground, and the shots flew over their prone bodies. Dragging themselves, they jumped over the hedge just as the shots froze it behind them.

Turning the corner, they zig-zagged through the streets, getting as far away from the battle as possible, cutting first left, then right, diving into front yards as they saw fit.

But curiously, their pursuers seemed to lose steam and lose track of them just as it mattered most. Slowly, but surely, the patter of their footsteps away.

"Whew." Abby wiped her brow as she sat in the front lawn of a foreign house. "That was close."

But it wasn't until she looked at the rest of her team-mates that she realised what was wrong.

"Where's Keith and Maurice?"

* * *

Numbuh Eighty-Six watched as her team-mates went down all around her. One by one, their returns on the radar screen disappeared, the small dots flashing out of existence on the screen. But a new craft had appeared on the screen, too - one that had snuck up on their enemy from behind.

She attempted to call that unit. "Unidentified SCAMPER, do you read me?"

No answer.

The Delightful Children loomed larger then ever. Below them, however, the Kids Next Door had established control of their massive legs. The string team were busy tying their legs together, using the best KND grade yarn there was. All they needed was for the aerial assault to continue for another few minutes.

Then suddenly, another blast sheared the right side of her craft clean off.

The sudden, roaring sound of air filled the cabin. If she had not been buckled in, she would have been sucked right out in that instant. As it were, everything that wasn't secured was blown out of the gaping hole in the side. Papers, weapons and a Rainbow Monkey all fell out of the hole, plunging to the ground far, far below.

Through the wind, she yelled at her pilot, who had started to close the throttles. "Keep going!"

Shakily, the pilot obeyed.

This was a date with destiny.

* * *

Maurice had gotten himself quite badly lost in the hedgerow. The twisting and turning worked fine for the small, agile kids, but for a sixteen-year old boy it was hard work. And now he had lost the other members of his group, too.

As he disengaged from the bush, he froze.

"Come quiet!"

The three Kids Next Door agent had their rifles leveled against the unarmed teenager.

Desperately, Maurice looked around him: not a soul in sight to help him. It was useless. Maurice raised his hands; his three guards broke into boyish grins.

"Well, that was easy! Let's get this guy, and we might still make it for Meatball Sandwich lunch-"

Off to the left, however, a blur of motion made Maurice instinctively duck.

One shot felled the first kid. The other two instinctively looked at who was doing the shooting.

It was Keith.

The return fire was intense, Keith having to drop to the floor to evade the shots. Maurice gasped at Keith. "I don't - What?"

Keith only smiled. Just then, the two remaining kids looked away from Keith again. Lifting the rifles, they _didn't_ level them at Keith. Instead, they were going to freeze Maurice-

"Look out!"

Keith bowled Maurice out of the way, forcing Maurice to roll over and over, earth and sky interchanging in a whir of blue and green.

"Keith!"

Laser blasts. Laser shots flew all around him, bright blue and green mixing with brown. And then he stopped, his body hitting the wall.

His friends were here. Abby, Kuki, Wally and Hoagie. They had taken down the two remaining agents. Two flashes of blue-green; two hits.

Weakly, Maurice scrambled to his feet, world still spinning. He braced himself against the wall to steady his motion. Slowly, his body righted itself. With balance came co-ordination, and the ability to move, and think, and remember-

 _Oh, God no-_

Maurice ran over to Keith just as the others got to the same spot. The initial signs were not good. Keith was lying perfectly still on his back, frozen from the chest down.

"Oh, Keith-"

By this time Kuki, as the one with real-life medical experience, had joined Maurice. The two of them turned Keith over. His face was still moving, struggling to catch a breath. In between gasps, Keith looked at Maurice with a weak smile. "I-I told the others. To come back and get you. I told them...I told them no-one gets left behind. Not this time."

His mission done, Keith heaved a small sigh of relief, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Numbuh Eighty-Six knew, without needing to be told so, that this would be the last time. The ship would definitely not survive another hit in one piece.

And yet the attack needed to be pressed. Leadership meant choices. It meant decisions. It meant, in some cases, sacrifice. Here it would mean all three.

Below her, the string team was almost all the way around. Ahead of her, the Delightful Children's laser started again. In a nervous fit, she gripped her armrest. There was no turning back now: the people below needed her help the most at precisely this moment.

And then, through her headphones-

"Pull up! Pull out now!"

Numbuh Eighty-Six shot bolt upright. "Who are you?" she roared back. But it was merely a formality, a wartime casualness, because the voices on the other end of the line sounded very familiar.

"We're on your side! Pull out! We'll take care of the situation."

Dead ahead was the Delightful Children, filing up her windscreen.

Numbuh Eighty-Six hesitated. The laser fired-

"Pull up!"

She steeled herself. One last order. Which would it be?

"Alright then-PULL UP!"

The laser hit, and sheared the floor beneath Numbuh Eighty-Six's seat right off.

For an instant, she was falling, falling, her hands scrambling madly for something to hold on to as she slipped out of the back of the craft-

 _Gotcha!_

She clung on to the edge, holding on to a piece of plywood as her pilot pulled back with all his might. Dangling over empty space, the only thing between her and a hundred-foot fall her own two hands, she braced herself as the fragment shot into the air like a rocket, the only sensation the feeling of gale-force winds ripping through every fiber of her body.

But then she realised that her craft was leveling out. Leveling out enough, in fact, for her to climb back on board, ever so slightly. Soon it was flat enough for her to pull her body flat to the deck. Weakly, she crawled back on deck, and asked her pilot, "Are we out?"

"We are clear, ma'am, and out of firing range. We'll be setting a course for home base and should be there in another ten minutes."

Numbuh Eighty-Six couldn't relax just yet. "And what-what about the troops?"

The pilot shook his head. "Too much happening to see what happened. When we're back at home base we'll do an after-action report and see who we do and don't have."

Fanny grunted, and heaved her body further away from the exposed back. It could wait.

* * *

Maurice carried Keith gently as he spoke to the remaining team-members.

"You guys have to go to Gallagher Elementary School. There you will find what you're missing. Me and Keith, we've got to find out what's going on, and that means a trip to Moon Base to communicate with our backers. There are forces at play here that clearly go beyond what's normal for stuff like this. If you guys work out, we'll meet up again; if not, I wish you every success in your future. Good luck!"

The rest of the team nodded, even though they only understood about half of the instructions.

But Kuki raised her hand. "Is Keith going to be alright?"

Maurice closed his eyes and breathed softly. "He'll need advanced medical treatment at Moon Base. It's not your normal ice, this stuff - it's been developed by Kids Next Door scientists to get at villains. Small chunks break off, like Abby's, but I don't know what happens with bigger ones. But I think he'll be alright - he's just sleeping at the moment. Hopefully he'll be up, though certainly not moving, when we're about halfway to the Moon."

Abby spoke up. "How are you guys going to get there?"

Maurice nodded knowingly. "For _that_ , I have a plan. But it's none of your concern. The only thing you guys need to worry about at the moment is getting through those trials. But hey, you got through this alright - it should be a cinch. Remember, you wouldn't be chosen if we weren't sure you at least had a good chance of passing."

Maurice nodded at them again. Over their heads, the sun was low in the sky again, though it was a fair way from setting. Remarkable, how time had passed so quickly when their attentions were focused on other things.

Without another word, the two parties walked off in their opposite directions, chasing their different destinies.


	11. Chapter 11

_Gallagher Elementary._ But why? Abby pondered the situation as she walked ahead of the other three members of her group. The only obvious connection was that they all had been there at one point. Beyond that, Abby could not think of a reason why that place should be chosen.

She scratched her head, then remembered that her cap was still missing. Funny thing, that cap. No-one could have snuck into her house that easily, and just to steal a cap, too. That left only Cree, because she sure as sundae didn't remember doing it. _But then it couldn't have been Cree, because she was out that night with her teenage friends, and Dad swore up and down she didn't come back till sunup._ Whatever the case, the fact was the memento stayed missing, without explanation and without cause.

Looking back, she realised that Wally was catching up with her, leaving Hoagie and Kuki some ten paces behind. Soon he was side-by-side, and he spoke. "What was _that_ all about?"

"Numbuh Five's got no idea."

She liked using the third-person pronoun. It made her feel somehow coolly detached from the action, as if she were reading a novel, or scrolling through fanfiction online. Plus, there was something cool about being known by a number when it meant she was a member of a top secret organisation of kids. The best spies in the world all had numbers, 007 just being the best example.

Wally shook his head. "They must want us real bad, y'know? I say we scrap this whole thing and go home!"

Abby didn't quite know how to respond to the sudden suggestion, so she opted for sarcasm. "Gee, I wonder how ya know that, huh? Flying houses and freezing rifles give you a hint or something?"

Wally tapped his head. "I'm practicing my thinking. Just play along, OK? It's hard work. But seriously, why don't we just quit while we're ahead? Leave when we've not been shot yet?"

Abby stopped, causing Wally to dig his heels in too. "Now since when have ya' been a quitter? We've all known for some time something's not right with our world. Which sane universe allows mecha battles and adults to mess with kids like that? This could be the one chance we have to find out the truth about our world, and you won't even try?"

"I'm not saying that! It's just-"

"Look, Wally. If you'd told me when I jumped out of my house yesterday to go back inside, I'd have followed you. But now, we've come too far to turn back. We've got to know."

By now Hoagie and Kuki had caught up with them. Hoagie said, "What were you guys talking about?"

Abby and Wally glanced at each other. "Nothing." Wally added, "Which way was Gallagher Elementary again?"

"Around this corner. We'll meet it at the end of the street. Say, I wonder what's going to happen next?"

Abby wagged her finger. "Famous last words, man, famous last words. Hoagie, don't you read them books or something? Don't you know we ain't never supposed to say things like that?"

* * *

Halfway between Earth and the Moon, Keith awoke with a start in the cramped rocket cabin, lit only by a single, bare electric lamp. "What the-"

Maurice's face appeared before him, turned around from the control seat. "Relax, Keith. We're on our way to Moon Base. It's all under control."

Keith tried to move his hands. Strangely, he felt not just that he could not do so, but that the very idea of _hands_ seemed to have slipped from his head. There was no sensation that he could tie down to being from his limbs, or his chest. And yet, when he looked down, past the blue-green mess, they were clearly there.

Maurice explained. "The stuff deadens your sensations. It makes you less likely to resist. Ice-Nine, they call it. I'm not a medic, so I don't know how they're gonna get it all off, but Moon Base always have answers." He smiled reassuringly. "Shame it's not always the right ones they get to first."

Keith looked out the small side window. Sure enough, the stars were floating points of light in the window, and the sky was black, not the light blue of Earth. It was real all right, but that didn't make it any easier to believe. "This world's weird. I don't know why I'm on this mission, but I suppose it could be much worse. Thanks for bailing me out."

Maurice left the control seat. Of their own volition, the controls moved, the autopilot kicking in to guide them towards their destination. "I've got to thank _you._ "

A short pause, and then Maurice remarked, "We've got some time to kill. What d'ya wanna talk about?"

Keith laughed incredulously. _Where do I even start?_

Being a trained KND operative, he naturally focused first on his mission. He asked, "This is all part of the plan, right? It was all written down in Situation-"

Maurice shushed him hastily. "Not right here! We're in an official KND vehicle. The voice recorders will have everything we say down on tape. Numbuh Eighty-Six's attack was unexpected, and so were the Delightfuls coming to spoil the party, and so were the entire Kids Next Door force bearing down on one point. I suppose being Global Tactical Officer has its perks, but this was supposed to be a private, sooper top secret mission. Right now, Sector V are back on track. Once they get through the Reckoning, we can initiate them."

Keith looked sceptical. Now that the plan had been spelled out by Maurice, tradition dictated that it be spoiled in one way or another. "How sure are you this whole thing's gonna work?"

Maurice got up again, moving with his head bowed in the small rocket. He took a seat near the window and said, "I fed the whole plan to Numbuh 22 - you know, the go-to guy for logic problems and weird situations. He read the whole thing through, in the way it was written down in the original envelope, and he eventually said that he didn't catch any problems with the plan. So I suppose I'm pretty sure." As an afterthought, he added, "Although, he did give me his crazy theories on why there are seven ages of the Kids Next Door, so I don't know how much to trust him. He probably spent too much time at Epsilon Station - that tiny station on the other side of Moon Base - so I wouldn't trust that part of what he says."

The ice was constricting Keith again, but now that Maurice had mentioned it, he was curious. _Why_ were _there seven ages of the Kids Next Door? For that matter, why did the archival history of the Kids Next Door sometimes contradict what he had seen?_

But he repressed those thoughts. Necessity drove his next question. "What are we gonna do when we get to Moon Base? We can't just walk up and demand cookies. I'm rated as a traitor by the Kids Next Door, and as of the last battle, so are you. How are we even gonna get past the security?"

Maurice replied with a smile, "You forget that the Kids Next Door don't always agree with one another, especially those making the decisions. To run a worldwide organisation like this, you gotta have plenty of people in the ranks, and I know enough to get us through. So relax. You'll get the care you need, provided you don't steal any of the root beer or ice cream when you're recovering in the hospital wing. And when the time's right you'll get the other kind of care you need." Thoughtfully, he fished in his pocket and pulled out Abby's note. His mind was already on other things.

As Keith looked on, Maurice shook the piece of paper open, Abby's neat handwriting being lit by the electric light. Looking at it, he muttered, "This is the one part I don't understand. How did this get here?"

Keith had no answer as the small ship, silent and defenseless, crept up on the Moon Base.

* * *

"There it is!"

Gallagher Elementary had ridiculously lax security given that should any kid be hurt, Senator Safely would be on to the place like pirates looking for candy. Still, this was the weekend, so maybe that was justified.

Almost casually, the four dodged whatever thin security there was, staying out of sight of the lone guard under the cover of semi-darkness. Climbing over the fence, the four of them walked back into the old yard. "Can ya' believe how much you've missed it?"

Wally gagged. "Abby, _please._ You don't miss the place. You miss the kids you were with."

Privately, Abby found herself in the weird position of agreeing with the orange-sweater kid. Wally was getting better at this. "Right, so I suppose we go through the main entrance?"

All the others nodded.

Abby walked over to the main entrance, where so many times she'd strolled through listlessly on her way to class. Gently, she nudged the doors open.

The hallways were empty. Normally, the quiet would be a good thing, especially after the battle they'd just had. It would allow them to think, to recap and process events. But here it just added to the surrealism of the whole thing.

Kuki, as if on instinct, drew closer to her friends. "I'm scared." She looked around, scanning her friends' faces to see if anyone shared her opinions.

Abby spoke up, though it was really to reassure herself as much as it was to help Kuki. "We'll stick together. No soda breaks, OK?"

The four of them walked through the doors, scanning the area for anything sneaky.

Then Wally's eagle-eyes again spotted something.

"Guys!" he whispered. "On the floor!"

A thin ribbon of faint light ran the length of the corridor, off to the side. Abby could not remember having ever seen that when she was in school. Then again, she remembered nothing of some things, so that could just be her. "You sure it's not just one of Safely's weird rules?"

"Positive." Hoagie bent down, examining the strip.

"How do you know that?"

In response, Hoagie simply pointed to the other side of the corridor. "There's nothing there. These are airplane aisle strips - designed to glow in the dark in emergencies. It's got to be the Kids Next Door trying to guide us. They're the only ones who'd think of something so random."

Abby nodded. "Let's follow the light."

* * *

The radio crackled, breaking the long, dark silence of space. "Craft approaching Moon Base, say your name and position."

Keith peeked at Maurice, who just climbed back into the control seat and spoke into the microphone. "Hello, Moon Base, this is Lyla, reporting from position one two degrees and fourteen seconds west, three six degrees and ten seconds north."

The controller at the other end was silent. Then back came the message, slightly confused and suspicious, "Craft calling, say your name again?"

"Lyla."

"We have no record of that name. Are you sure you don't mean-"

"Check with your commander."

A pause. "Okay..."

Keith raised an eyebrow at Maurice. _What the heck is going on?_

Maurice winked. _You'll see._

Seconds later a new voice came on the line. "Hello Lyla, how's it going? Been a while since I've seen you."

Maurice smiled, a smile of recognition and relief. "Hey, Numbuh 202, we're doing brilliant. Just give us a direct into Moon Base docking and we'll be on our way."

"Alright. Lyla, cleared for docking bay 3, straight-in approach." The microphone clicked off.

Keith dropped his head. "Brilliant. Lyla's a code word isn't it?"

Maurice smiled and nodded as he prepared the craft for docking. "Roger, Moon Base. Cleared for docking bay 3."

* * *

The strip led down narrow corridors, through classes, and generally moved in a way that would be hard to believe had it not been for the fact that the four tweens had seen much more by now.

Eventually, the line ended. Dead center of the double doors that led to the gym.

Quietly, Wally touched the doors. They did not seem to be locked. He pushed the doors open, an inch at a time. The cavernous gym beyond was dark.

Wally took a step forward.

"Grass?"

Abby walked beside him, testing the ground for herself, delivering her verdict. "This ain't real grass."

"So what are we supposed to do? Why is grass even on the cruddy-"

As if on cue, the lights switched on. The bright, electric lights temporarily blinded the group. As their eyes adjusted, the picture before them became clear. And no matter how good Wally had been at sports, this was the one he could never get.

"We're supposed to play soccer?"

* * *

Maurice first brought Keith into Moon Base's hospital wing. The doctors there looked at him weirdly, but they got on with their jobs, wheeling Keith away. Of course, none could know that he was actually sixteen - a fact hidden by his accomplice conveniently cutting power to the 'intruder alert' alarm in the hospital wing. They guessed it, of course, but because he came directly through no-one dared to ask the question.

Now he had to be a bit more discreet. In his kid days, he had been quite the operative, and he was sure that there would be those who would recognise him if he were caught wondering the hallways of Moon Base.

Out of the hospital wing, he looked around at the empty hall. The base was larger than he remembered it, probably because it had been rebuilt from scratch. To find out who had tipped Numbuh Eighty-Six off, he had to get into the central computer, or somebody at the very top levels.

Subconsciously, Maurice started humming a tune as he walked the still-empty corridors. Somehow he still remembered the lyrics from his first camping session with the other cadets in his sector, though they were sure as hell not the original. _Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the school / We have trampled the teachers, we have broken every rule..._

It had been a different time, a more innocent era. The mood had been nowhere near where he was now, on the run and desperate for somebody else to be on his side. All of which begged the question:

Where next?


	12. Chapter 12

The nets at the two ends of the gym seemed smaller then average. In fact, all the dimensions seemed to have been shrunk especially for them. But strangely enough, it seemed as if they were the only team there.

"Hello?" Wally shouted, getting nothing back but his own voice.

"Strange. Game's set up but there's nothing on." Abby walked further into the gym. Suddenly the doors closed behind them.

All four turned immediately.

Four kids were standing in front of the gym door, blocking their exit. Their numbered jerseys gave them each a corresponding opponent. 4, 3, 2, 1. Among them, they passed a soccer ball back and forth, and Abby, even from her limited experience of soccer, knew they were very good.

"What you' waiting for, squirt? Let's play football!"

Wally reacted angrily to that comment. "Don't call me a squirt! And it's soccer, not football. Why would I want to play your girly game?"

He folded his arms and began to turn away, but just then he came face-to-face with Kuki Sanban. And she was mad.

"Because if it's such a girly game, we wanna play too! Ain't that right, Abby?"

Abby was startled. "We wanna play? Uh - I mean - Sure, we wanna play!"

Kuki was satisfied. Turning to their opponents, she said in a slowly building voice, "You see? Now let's play ball."

"Gladly." The four kids bolted the door behind them and moved to the other end of the pitch. Atop the empty stands, the scoreboard lit up. HOME: 0, AWAY: 0. A timer stood poised above the score, ready to go at kick-off.

The number 1 of the team spoke up. Oddly, he did so with a posh English accent, despite the total lack of any England in America. "Ten minutes. If it's drawn after then we take penalties. How's that sound?"

"Game on!" Abby reached across, and they shook hands cautiously.

* * *

It wasn't long before Maurice sat before an empty computer terminal. This was the fastest-expanding segment of the Kids Next Door. As times changed, so did the methods of operation. The screen looked wearily familiar to Maurice. After everything had been done a thousand times the exciting became mundane. Clicking on an icon on the screen, he scrolled through a list of names and placements.

And then he stumbled upon Numbuh Eighty-Six's name. All in one line, the details of her placement were on the screen before him, as well as the names of the instructing officer. Trouble was, in her case, she was Global Tactical Officer, which meant that very few people outranked her, and could have sent her to track down the decommissioned Sector V. So either she did it of her own free will, acting off a tip, or somebody had put her up to it. And the evidence here suggested...

He raised his eyebrows.

* * *

'PEEP!" The shrill blast of a referee's whistle startled Wallabee Beatles into action. The game was underway. The ball with the opposition.

He was facing down their number 4. With the ball at his opponent's feet, he reacted instinctively, lunging in for the ball. But it was a mistake.

His opponent simply skipped past him and sent the ball soaring across the field. Kuki tried to reach it, but she had no chance. Behind her, the opposing number 2 headed the ball into the net, past the despairing dive of Hoagie.

One-nil.

Wally walked back over as Hoagie was picking the ball out of the net. Hoagie was seething. "Why do I have to play goalie?"

Wally wasn't in the mood to deal with it. "Shut up! You're big, OK, and we all know the big kid always plays in goal. Now suck it up!"

Hoagie picked the ball out of the net and threw it as hard as possible at Wally's head. The black and white ball hit Wally square in the jaw. Abby and Kuki gasped. But Hoagie was livid. "THERE! Guess you can go play your games now, huh? You wanna play soccer so bad, why dontcha get on with it right NOW?"

"Hoagie, cool it!" Instinctively, Abby moved between the two boys, as if to prevent a confrontation. None was coming on her watch. "We start as a team, we finish as one! Even if in the end we can't really play this game anyway.", she added ruefully.

But there was no confrontation coming. Uncharacteristically, silently, Wally picked up the ball and placed it back at the center circle. With a quiet kind of rage, Wally yelled at his team-mates. "Abby, kickoff!"

Their opponents were back in place. Straight from kickoff, they pressed, harried, trying to pick the ball off a loose pass. Abby still had the ball, but she was pressed to the side, pushed and jostled against the wall of the gym by the number '3' of the other team. And then she saw a chance to slot Wally through on goal.

She made the pass, and for a moment it seemed like Wally was ready to put his whole foot through the approaching ball, but then the opposite number '2' cut the pass out.

By now she was out of position, having lost the ball due through her own bad pass. Swiftly, their opponents moved back down the small pitch, exchanging passes with one another like it was going out of style. Abby sprinted back across the field and slid in on her opponents, as she desperately tried to get the ball. It didn't work. A deft touch, and the opposing number 3 was in, one-on-one against Hoagie. He dived left; she shot right.

Two-nil.

As Hoagie turned around to pick the ball out of his net again, Abby held up an apologetic hand. "Sorry guys, Numbuh Five screwed up. It won't happen again."

"Darn right it won't!" Wally had, by this time, walked back across the field to join his dejected team-mates. "What was that pass about?"

Abby clenched her fists, her nails starting to dig into the palms. "I screwed up, OK? Let's move on. And Wally, you make mistakes like all of us do, so cool it!"

Abby set the ball back on the center spot. Glanced at the clock. Three minutes had passed. _Jesus, three minutes and we've already conceded twice?_ Abby passed the ball to Wally from kick-off. And watched as the orange-shirted kid, by virtue of his low center of gravity, tried to dribble past his opponents. She kept watching as he dribbled past one. Knocking it off the wall, past another. Now he was in.

Abby was level with him, and if he had passed, she would have had the easiest of goals - a tap-in.

But Wally shot. And the goalie needn't have bothered even flapping his hands at the ball, because it was an awful shot that flew miles over the small goal.

As the opposing goalie went to retrive the ball, Abby mouthed at Wally. _What was that for?_

In response, he just shrugged. But in the meantime their opponents had gotten the game moving again. The number 1 shuffled up the field, seeming to take matters into his own hands. But it was fine. Kuki was facing him down. She had it covered-

Without missing a beat, he shifted the ball onto his right foot and unleashed a swerving, dipping shot. In goal, Hoagie never even moved as the ball arced into the top corner.

Three-nil.

From further upfield, Abby groaned, that familiar feeling of helplessness again washing over her. Without even needing to glance at the scoreboard, she knew her team had just been outclassed here. She didn't even bother to walk back to her team's goal; the ball was recycled back out to her for the third kickoff.

For the rest of the half, they tried to get one back. At least they were not conceding anymore. But even though Abby and Wally both had shots on target, the score at half-time was still 3-0.

As the whistle signaled a minute's break, the members of Sector V collectively heaved a sigh of relief. They needed half-time. It gave them a chance to process what had just happen, gave them a chance to regroup.

* * *

Maurice took a closer look at the data. There was no doubt; the orders had come from higher up. And he knew who was responsible.

Then suddenly, a female voice from behind him caused him to jump. "Maurice?"

Maurice heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you. What are you doing here?"

In response, Cree looked over his shoulder, staring at the list of operative assignments on the computer screen. Finding nothing, she turned away and said, "I'm trying to find my sister. Fat chance, considering these dorks up here don't even know about the mission she's on, but it was worth a shot. What are _you_ doing here? And how did you know I was here?"

"I didn't." Maurice smiled at Cree. Their breakup had not been altogether disastrous; they had stayed on good terms after it. "But I thought there was a pretty good chance that you'd be here, though I couldn't explain why at the time. Now I know." He got up from the computer terminal, his job done. "Alright, we've got a certain someone to meet."

Cree asked, "Do you know where my sister is?"

"Yeah, but she won't be available for a couple more hours. In the meantime we've got other things to do. It's not that important, but we've got to get to it soon if your sister's to remain safe."

"Safe?" Cree was thunderstruck. "Safe?"

"Yes, safe. Let's go." Quietly, the teenagers snuck out of the computer room, Maurice locking the door behind them with a soft click.

* * *

The team-talk at half-time was explosive.

Abby had started well enough. "Change of plans. Kuki, you swap with me, I'm going to defense. We need to pass a lot better in the second half."

Then Wally interrupted. "Well, we wouldn't be in this cruddy mess if it weren't for you guys just givin' it to them Brits! I don't-"

Abby got up and pushed him over.

Everyone gasped as Wally quickly got back to his feet, staring down at Abby. For a moment, it looked as if it would come to blows, Abby versus Wally.

But Abby yelled at Wally before the latter had a chance to do anything. "You think you're so perfect, don'tcha? You may be the best at this game, but you better believe we're also on the field, playing. So don't try and dribble your way through like you're a legend, because you won't get anywhere. Use your skills smartly. For once in your life, you don't have to be the tough guy, you just need ter' be the good guy!"

Wally opened his mouth, but just then the whistle sounded, and they were back on for the second half. This time, the opponents kicked off, and quickly Sector V was on the defensive again. Abby looked across the line. "Steady now..."

Number 1 advanced on the goal.

"Now!"

Just as Number 1 was about to slide his team-mate in, Wally came out of nowhere and tackled him hard enough to send him flying.

Abby looked at Wally with pride. Sprinting back up the pitch, she yelled at her teammate: "That's it - now pass!"

But Wally had other plans. Moving cautiously up the pitch, he was confronted by two other players, closing him down, limiting his space.

"Pass it!" Abby was screaming at him.

It was not time. Not yet, for there was a better option, and that option was to delay the pass. It was in his nature to play sports well.

But it would still be crazy if the move worked. Only seconds to decide.

As the number 3 got close to him, Wally played his pass, the ball rolling across the field with slide-rule accuracy, bypassing his two opponents like they weren't there. On the far end, Abby ran onto the pass full tilt and hit the shot as hard as she could.

The ball flew in off the underside of the bar.

Wally rubbed his eyes in disbelief. _It worked?_

Even Abby looked a bit surprised at the goal. Sheepishly, she said, "I didn't know you could pass like that, Wally!"

Wally relaxed. Looking around the field, he smiled back at Abby as their opponents took a turn fishing the ball out of the net. "Well, I didn't know either." He turned and looked at the Brits, who were by now starting to think that Zidane had been reincarnated just to face them. "What are we waiting for? Let's play ball!"

* * *

Maurice and Cree were hidden in the snacks storage room. Today was a quiet day on Moon Base, and they were relatively safe in here until the coast was absolutely clear.

Maurice asked, "So, what happened with Abby?"

Cree threw her hands up. "She wouldn't hear a word against it! I'd realise she'd gotten a note about the Kids Next Door, and I tried to stop her from going but she wouldn't hear it. Maurice, I know this is important and all, but she's important to me too. I almost couldn't let her do it. I lost my cool, I started hitting her, and now I don't know what to do, Maurice. Every time I fight her it hurts me more than anything she could ever throw. Every time..."

Maurice hugged her. Cree wrapped her arms around him awkwardly. "Thanks." she whispered. "She made me think, you know. What do I wanna do, who am I really? I can't just keep going around with the teen ninjas, because as much as I wanna destroy this stupid organisation, I'm growing up, too. I can't keep doing this for the rest of my life. But then what am I supposed to do if I can't stop my sister from risking it all? I don't know, Maurice."

Putting her head in his shoulders, she started to sob. Maurice hugged her tightly. But beyond that, he knew there was nothing he could say or do to help Cree.

It was such a lonely place, the land of tears.

* * *

Three-three in a flash. And there were still thirty seconds left on the clock. Wally glanced around, enjoying himself by now, as he scanned the field for his teammates.

The English team were visibly shocked. Worse still, penalties loomed, and they'd never been that good at those anyway. "Get the ball off him!"

Wally waited. _Twenty seconds..._

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the movement he was looking for.

As if they sensed it too, the English broke ranks, trying to get the ball from Wally. Fifteen seconds. Taking it in his stride, Wally passed the ball between his own feet, and lofted the ball high in the air.

Ten seconds. The opposition stood helpless as time seemed to stop. The ball hung in the air, and floated past Abby.

Five seconds. Kuki jumped into the air, hands flailing, but it was too high for her, and it sailed past her too, looking for all the world like the chip would bounce out of bounds.

But then they all saw the onrushing blur, and they all understood.

As the ball fell, Hoagie dived in, and connected with the falling ball with his head, sending it past the English keeper.

Four-three. And full-time, in the most unlikely of matches.

Hoagie tried to stand up, but he was quickly over-run as the other members of his team all jumped on him, piling up in one big celebration of success.

"Ow! Get off-" But Hoagie's protests were in vain, and it was only after a while that his team-mates relented and got off his back, turning around to face the crestfallen opposition.

"Well, that was a good game." The leader of the opposition extended his arm, and Wally reached across to shake it - the tradition after every football game, win, lose or draw. "Guess we English need to practise a wee bit more, then." Suddenly, he touched his palm lightly to his forehead. "Goodness! I forgot to introduce myself! How very rude." He swept an open palm across his sector mates. "We're from Sector E, and we're in America mainly to give you guys this." He held out a red envelope for Wally.

Without thinking much, Wally ripped open the envelope, but when he saw the writing on the enclosed letter, he instantly wished he hadn't.

"What gives? Where did you get this from-" Wally looked inside the envelope; a further slip of paper fell out of the back. Four numbers. "Huh?"

"Commissioned at the highest levels. Keep it safe in your skyrocket, a'ight?" the sector E leader exhorted. "It'll be important later." Quietly, all four of them stalked off to the gym exits before any of the surprised sector V members could ask any more questions.

Wally was now left with only his teammates for company. Before he put the envelope in his pocket, he scanned the first line again. _To Wallabee Beatles - when he was a kid..._

He placed the stack of papers back into his pocket. Off to his side, the others were quietly standing, looking at him, wondering what he had gotten from their opponents, what was inside the red envelope.

But before he said anything, he decided, he had to say something. "Hoagie, I'm - I'm sorry."

Everyone present gasped. It was almost as surprising as when Abby pushed Wally over. Seeing their surprise, Wally quickly added:

"No, I mean it, guys! It's just - I didn't think what I said could hurt you like it did. I didn't know. But Hoagie, I wanna say, I shouldn't have done it, and I-"

The rest of his words were drowned out by Hoagie's tight hug.

"Get off me!" Wally shoved Hoagie gently. "Ya still can't touch me like that."

But Hoagie could've sworn he saw a genuine smile break on Wally's face for the briefest of moments after the hug.

* * *

"Who is this Kayla girl? Have you been hanging out with other people since our breakup?"

Maurice laughed. "You really think that? No, she's just one of the recruitment targets I got when I was still in charge of recruitment. Boy, that was a hard job, but I got the best from it, and all the perks of being a teen spy-"

"Sore point." Cree held up her hand; she still had not gotten over the fact that Maurice was a teenage spy against her arch-nemesis. "Put a sock in it, we've got a mission to finish."

"Since when were you so committed to the Kids Next Door? I thought-"

"SORE POINT." Cree exhaled in disgust. "Didn't they teach you how to take a point in military school or something?"

Right. Maurice opened a side door noiselessly. In the otherwise bare room, a girl was hunched over at an old-fashioned typewriter, surrounded by a massive amount of paperwork. Maurice shouted, "Howdy, Kayla!"

"Burnin' barbecues!" Kayla literally leapt in her seat, upsetting the typewriter before her and scattering the pages all over the floor. She made no effort to pick it back up, instead focusing on her breathing. "Maurice, if you ever do this to me again, I will make sure you eat the whole month's ration of vanilla ice-cream flavour. What do you want?"

Maurice made a face. "We're here to find out more about what's going down recently. Have you seen anybody important recently? They don't come out much nowadays, but surely you must see them for press or something."

Kayla raised a quizzical eyebrow. "I've not seen much. The Elite Four are in a meeting at the moment. But they've all brought their game consoles into the meeting, so I don't think that means anything much."

"What a stupid name." Maurice brushed that concern off. He walked over to the table and picked up the typewriter. "Right, Kayla, I'm sure you know me coming here isn't a normal thing, so I've got some explaining to do. We - that's me and Cree right here - are starting to think that there might be a plot going on to destroy this organisation from within. I've been getting nothing but interference from Kids Next Door on my top secret missions, Keith's been wrecked by one of his own, and now I know that your global tactical officer has been sent down to Earth to complete a mission that shouldn't exist. If you cross your eyes really hard and suck on some Brain Twisty candy, that should give you the picture."

Kayla crossed her eyes.

"Not actually! You kids take things way too literally." Maurice called Cree over to his table, where the three of them then bent in secretively over the typewriter. "We need to know what Numbuh 66 is up to. I think he's the one with the most influence, though it's hard to tell cause it switches from day to day. Abby really left us in a mess when she finished her term. As soon as he comes back from his Pokemon game session I need you to stick this on him." Maurice held out a small microphone, pinching the end with thumb and forefinger.

"You want me to bug the possible Supreme Leader." Kayla looked at Maurice and Cree like they were joking, but they were clearly not. "First you use my top-secret password to get past Moon Base area control, now you want me to bug Numbuh 66?"

"Yeah. Just-just say you're adjusting his mike or something. You're press, he's obsessed about himself, it shouldn't be too hard." Maurice turned from the table, Cree following in his wake. "I've got the receiver, so I'll know when you do it."

* * *

As his team stalked through the empty corridors of Gallagher Elementary, shirts starting to stick to their backs, Wally opened the letter again. His team had spotted the line again; it was impossible to miss from the moment they walked straight out of the other end of the gym.

Wally's feet unconsciously caught up with the rest, but his mind was elsewhere. By the dim light, he read the note again. The handwriting was that of a child's - weird, strangely capitalised, and otherwise amateurish, but the message was clear enough nonetheless.

 _To Wallabee Beatles..._

 _You may not remember me anymore, but I Remember you. I'm the kid you saved that other day before third periOd math class, remember? In the halls, when the bullies were all like 'Gimme your gum!' and I was like 'Nuh-uh' and he was like 'Pow!' when he hit me. And - and this is the Coolest part - you walKed right in. I thought you looked scared, but then you just walked up - just walked up! and hit the guy right in the face! And the rest of 'Em, they just ran away, like that! You saved my life back in first grade, Wally, and you better remember iT, because you mean something to us all, something more than candy or double-scoop ice cream._

Us?

Wally looked down at the rest of the letter. An electric shock ran through his body. So great was his surprise that he nearly stopped dead in his tracks.

Below the first testimonial, someone else had written in a different script. A different story, a different time. And somebody else. All his friends that he had bailed out when he was too small to be scared, each one a reminder that the small squirt in first grade had a heart big enough for all the other small kids.

Wally quickly flipped through all the pages, heart soaring with every flick, page after page of testimonials. At the end of the letter was one written in neat block handwriting. _One too far this time, I'm afraid, Wally. But don't worry, because we've all got your back, and we'll bail you out as payback for every time that you had ours. My father himself said it - being brave isn't about not being scared, it's about being scared of something and doing it anyway. Nigel._

Against every instinct in his body, Wally looked up at the ceiling, staring off into the distance and just smiling.

"Wally?" Abby noticed that Wally had stopped.

"Yeah?"

"Are you OK?" By now, the rest of the group had stopped, a few paces ahead of Wally. But he didn't care.

"Yeah, I am. Just saying hi to an old friend." Wally closed the letter again, slowly shuffling ahead to where his group was. Still staring into the distance, he whispered, "I just wish he could be here to see me again."


End file.
